A veggie burger with rich umami flavour | Canada Voices

It’s barbecue season, and our appetite for meatless burgers is growing.

We’re in the midst of a plant-based meat boom: Research group Technavio predicts the market will increase by nearly 37 per cent between 2023 and 2028. Even McDonald’s was testing, once again, a vegetable, pea and soybean-based “McVeggie” burger in select Canadian markets this spring.

Veggie burgers became hip in the ‘80s, commonly made with tweedy mixtures of nuts, grains, mushrooms and veggies, and pulses such as lentils, black beans and chickpeas. Science has taken plant-based burgers to a whole new level in recent years, with technologies able to extract and manipulate plant proteins and grow various cell combinations to mimic meat in a way that’s only possible in a lab, not a kitchen.

Some of the ingredients most commonly used in plant-based burgers grow well in Canada, including pulses such as yellow peas, which are transformed into pea protein isolate, the primary ingredient to add protein or improve texture in many prepared foods and burger patties, including Beyond Burgers. (The pea-protein market is projected to grow from US$2.68-billion in 2024 to US$6.74-billion by 2033, according to Straits Research.) At home, inexpensive, locally grown pulses only need boiling (and if they’re canned, only draining) to transform into a tasty burger.

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These patties utilize soaked pumpkin seeds, which are protein-dense and more affordable than most burger-friendly nuts, and are known to resemble scrambled eggs when soaked, blended with water and cooked in a skillet.

The challenge with veggie burgers is texture; patties that are structurally sound, and not crumbly nor mushy. Try not to overprocess your ingredients in order to maintain some texture, and cook the patties in a hot skillet with plenty of oil, flipping them carefully with a thin spatula when it’s time.

If you’d like to do this outdoors, a cast-iron skillet works perfectly on the grill – you could even char the cabbage and onion directly on the grate and chop it up before blending to impart a smokiness to your burgers.

Lentil-Mushroom-Cabbage-Pumpkin-seed Burgers

Browning ingredients imparts a rich umami flavour; if you like, spice up your patties with hot sauce or chili crisp, miso, nutritional yeast, cumin or a curry spice blend, or fresh herbs such as finely chopped rosemary or thyme.

• 1/2 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/3 cup dry red lentils
• Canola or other vegetable oil, for cooking
• 1 small onion or 1/4 purple onion, chopped
• 4 cups (1 litre) finely shredded cabbage
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp tahini, nut butter or mayo
• 1/4 cup panko or other dry breadcrumbs
• Thinly sliced or grated cheddar, Gouda or other cheese (optional)

Put the pumpkin seeds into a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and let soak for about an hour.

Simmer the red lentils for eight to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Drizzle some oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and cabbage, sprinkling with salt, for about 10 minutes, or until soft and starting to turn golden on the edges. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another drizzle of oil and sauté the mushrooms until they soften and start to turn golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

Drain the pumpkin seeds and put into a food processor with about 1/4 cup water and a spoonful of tahini, nut butter or mayo. Pulse until they’re as smooth as you can get them (they won’t be completely smooth) and then add the sautéed cabbage and mushrooms and the cooked lentils, along with any seasonings you’d like, and pulse until the mixture is well blended but still retains some texture.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the panko. Let sit for about 20 minutes – this will allow the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the moisture – and then shape the mixture into patties of your preferred size and thickness.

Heat up a drizzle of oil in the skillet and cook patties until deep golden and crusty on the bottom. Gently flip and cook until golden and crusty on the other side and, if you like, place a slice or pile of grated cheese on top and cover for a minute to help it melt.

Serve on soft buns with your choice of condiments.

Makes four to six burgers.