Veggie burgers have a reputation for being dry and flavorless, but the addition of olives and ricotta cheese to these mushroom-based burgers makes them quite the opposite. These are quick to throw together and very filling, and they just might change that stereotype!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 3/4 cup cooked or canned lentils
- 10 kalamata olives, pits removed
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 to 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add mushrooms and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until golden brown, stirring occasionally. This should take 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse mushroom mixture with lentils, olives, ricotta, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, egg, and vinegar until well blended but not completely smooth — the mixture should still have some chunks to help hold it together.
- Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it’s fairly firm. Short on time? Throw it in the freezer for 10 minutes instead.
- Form the burger mixture into patties. If the mixture is still too loose to hold its shape, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and fry the burgers 2 at a time (or however many can fit in your frying pan at once without crowding each other) for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and firmly held together.
- Serve with whatever burger fixin’s you like!
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