How to Make a Vegan Burger

Chef Megan Mitchell wants to help you build a better vegan burger. Her hefty vegan burger patty is made with mushrooms, chickpeas, oats, and sunflower seeds. A sriracha-spiked sauce adds a little heat, and a food processor does most of the heavy lifting. Invite your friends, because plant-based dinner perfection is here.

Mushroom, Spinach, and Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Cook the ingredients before shaping the patties for deeper flavor.

Yield: 8 burgers
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the burgers:
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and halved
6 ounces baby spinach
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
1 to 2 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for your hands
1 ½ (15-ounce) pouches Thrive Market Organic Garbanzo Beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
½ cup Thrive Market Organic Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
¼ cup Thrive Market Organic Sunflower Seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Ground Pepper

For the sauce:
¾ cup Thrive Market Non-GMO Vegan Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sriracha

For serving:
8 gluten-free hamburger buns, such as Schär, toasted
Green leaf lettuce
Thinly sliced avocado

Instructions

Make the burgers:

Combine mushrooms, spinach, green onions, garlic, and rosemary in a food processor; blend until a chunky paste forms, scraping down sides as needed. 

Warm a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle in olive oil, then add blitzed vegetable mixture. 

Cook 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened, fragrant, and no liquid remains. 

Scoop mixture back into food processor and add beans, lemon zest and juice, oats, sunflower seeds, mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Use a portion scoop to divide mixture into 8 balls. Lightly oil your hands and shape balls into patties (they should be about the same size as the buns).

Warm the same medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, cook burgers 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until a golden brown crust forms and they’re heated through. If needed, keep burgers warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.

Make the sauce:

Combine mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl; stir until combined.

Assemble burgers:

Smear spicy mayo on the bottom of a toasted bun, followed by the hot veggie burger, sliced avocado, and lettuce. Slather the top bun with more spicy mayo. 

Recipe by Megan Mitchell