Meaty Vegan Burgers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms and eggplant with 1/4 cup oil, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and pinch salt and pepper.
2. Wrap the mushrooms and eggplant in foil and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, until mushrooms are browned and eggplant softened. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Bring 3 cups vegetable broth to a boil. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the Arborio rice and stir until lightly toasted.
6. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and stir until all liquid is absorbed. Continue to add liquid, 1/2 cup at a time until risotto is al-dente.
7. You may not need all the liquid. Let cool and place into a large bowl.
8. In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup white beans, flour, baking powder, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and eggplant. Process until a paste forms.
9. Add mixture to bowl with risotto.
10. Add the remaining white beans to the food processor along with the cashews and mushrooms. Pulse into a mixture forms, finely chopped but still course in texture. Add to the risotto mix.
11. Lastly, add the cooled onion and celery mixture to the food processor and pulse 10 times.
12. Add to the risotto bowl and mix together until completely mixed.
13. Since you’ve done so much work- you can refrigerate the mixture for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months in a sealed air-tight bag.
14. Season to taste.
15. Add breadcrumbs and mix in with your hands. Once you add the breadcrumbs, start to form the patties. You don’t want the breadcrumbs to become soggy.
16. Bring a skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Lightly spray and add the patties.
17. Flip burgers after 4-5 minutes, until bottom is lightly-browned. Cook another 4-5 minutes. Serve!
18. For an awesome treat, top with caramelized onions.