For many people burgers and hotdogs on the grill epitomize summer. It is nice to have a healthy vegetarian option to add to the mix, especially if you are having a crowd. The idea of veggie burgers has always appealed to me but I have not found one in supermarkets that I really like so I decided to make my own. I like the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the crunch of the almonds in this recipe. My one disappointment is that they are not ideal for the grill since the mixture falls apart fairly easily. If you do want to cook them on the grill I think the best bet would be to brown them in a pan first, and then put them on a piece of foil on the grill to heat them and add that smoky flavor. I like to serve them with brioche buns, lettuce, tomato and guacamole or raita but traditional mayo, mustard, or ketchup all work well too.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound crimini mushrooms, stems removed, diced
10 ounces shelled edamame, blanched
1 large egg
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and add onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and it has all evaporated, 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place mushroom mixture, egg, and 1 cup of the edamame in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is a course paste. Add remaining edamame, almonds, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, cilantro and salt and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl and divide into 6-8 burgers. Dredge in remaining breadcrumbs.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet and brown burgers on both sides.