Meat free Mondays: not a debate with this wicked veggie burger

A veg burger is the kind of meal that often lingers in the shadowy realm of ‘meal substitutes’. It’s not easy being a vegetarian. Carnivorous friends, without evil intent, dare you to find anything as purely brilliant as the juicy, mince patty. But it’s not their fault. They haven’t tasted this burger, a genius blend of food allies. Garlic-buttered mushrooms, a purée of legumes and a choir of herbs? Well it’s a darn decent burger. Meat free Mondays is just common courtesy.

Ingredients

Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 10–15 minutes | Makes: 6–8 medium sized patties

250g (1 punnet) mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp nutmeg
1 onion, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely chopped (including a few inches of the green part)
2 big handfuls of coriander, parsley and basil, finely chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1 tin kidney beans, drained
1 egg, beaten
1 heaped Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
100g slivered almonds
4 Tbsp sesame seeds (black or white)
Butter and coconut oil, to fry
Crème fraiche, to serve
Feta, to serve
Other accompaniments: pickles, chips, onion rings

Method:

1. Fry the mushrooms in a few glugs of olive oil until most of the moisture of the mushrooms has cooked down. Add the garlic and nutmeg and cook for another minute.
2. Mix together the onion, spring onions and chopped herbs.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the kidney beans and chickpeas to a rough paste. Mix the mushroom mixture and onion mixture into the beans along with the egg, mustard and flaxseed.
4. Heat a frying pan and toast the almonds for a few minutes over a medium heat until golden brown and they release nutty odours. Add to the mixture.
5. Pat the burgers into 6 medium sized patties and coat roughly in sesame seeds.

6. Heat the coconut oil and butter in a saucepan (use a little more than you think you ought to, it will pay!)
7. Fry in batches, for about 2–3 minutes a side until crispy and golden.

To serve, peel a savoy or ordinary cabbage leaf and rinse well. Drain, then lay it on your plate and pop the veg patty on top with a big dollop of crème fraiche, feta, pickles, chips and other burger accompaniments.