Mushroom Kale Burger for Meatless Monday

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

For this week’s Cooking with Heinen’s post, we’re preparing a vegetarian meal for Meatless Monday.  I’m not a vegetarian but I love vegetables. Every so often I rise to the challenge of preparing a meatless meal that my family will love.  I made this “burger” at the request of the creator of Mama Jess pasta sauce. Jessica Grelle, a Barrington mother-of-two, was looking for a flavorful meatless burger to enjoy with her amazing sugar-free ketchup. I’m a huge fan of her Pasta sauces now available at Heinen’s. The garden sauce is my favorite! You should definitely give them a try if you are a fan of good wholesome ingredients and the absence of additives.

These burgers are completely meatless but they cook up with a crusty exterior that gives you the feeling of a grilled burger.  The mushrooms have a firm, meaty texture and taste.  I love that I can enjoy all the fixings that make a burger so delicious with a fraction of the calories + far more nutrients and, in my opinion, even more flavor.

They come together easily.  I used an ice cream scoop to make equal portions then shaped them into patties. I’m serving these without a bun but they would be delicious with a brioche roll.

Mushroom Kale Burgers

Ingredients

• 1/2 large bunch of kale
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 Portobello mushrooms
• 1 large tomato
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 lettuce wraps or large pieces of leaf lettuce
• Choice of preferred toppings
• Extra almond flour to prevent the patties sticking to your hands

Method

• Rinse the kale leaves under cold water.
• Cut the vein from each leaf and discard.
• Roughly chop the rest of the leaves and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
• Sprinkle the kale with the sea salt and massage it through all of the chopped kale.
• Slice the tomato into wedges cutting out the seeds. Place the tomato into a food processor.
• Add the Portobello mushrooms, cumin, almond butter, garlic, paprika and black pepper.
• Pulse on low-speed until smooth and well combined.
• Add the flour and gently mix again.
• Transfer the mixture back into the bowl that the kale was resting in.
• Add the breadcrumbs and fold through with a spatula.
• Divide the mixture into 4, forming each one into a patty. Tip: Use a ½ cup scoop to form a ball then shape with your hands into a patty. Be sure to use some extra almond flour to dust your hands and prevent it getting too sticky.
• Place each burger onto a cookie tray which has been dusted lightly with flour if necessary. Or, use parchment paper.
• Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan over a medium-low heat. Place the burgers into the hot pan and cook on one side for about 3-4 minutes and the burger has formed a nice dark crust.
• Turn over the burgers and repeat on the other side.
• Place each burger onto the lettuce and dress with your choice of toppings then top with an additional piece of lettuce.

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