Though we have to say, the new Gardein Burgers are sinfully, scarily realistically beefy (we ate them all weekend!), there is nothing like a homemade burger! Try these Green Olive Chorizo Burgers whenever you need an extra dose of spice and protein, which for us.. is all the time!
Green Olive Chorizo Burger
Type: Burger
Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
The Patty
- 12 green olives stuffed with garlic, chopped
- ¾ cup of rolled oats
- 1 cup of cooked, rinsed white beans (preferably borlotti beans)
- 1 cup of soy chorizo
- 2 tsp. of smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp. of Spanish olive oil
The Aioli Sauce
- 6 tbsp. of vegan mayonnaise
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/8 tsp. of salt
- ¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of ½ of a lemon
- Option: Pinch of saffron
The Burger
- 4 buns, toasted
- 2‐3 rings of Spanish onion per burger
- 2 tbsp. of chopped parsley
- 2 small Roma tomatoes, sliced
Instructions: Making the Patties: Chop the olives. Coarsely grind the oats by pulsing them in a food processor a few times. Smash the beans. Combine all the patty ingredients until everything is thoroughly mixed and densely packed. Form the dough into 4 patties, ¾” thick. Sauté the patties on each side for 2 minutes over a medium heat in the olive oil. Making the Aioli: Puree all the ingredients for the aioli. Finishing the Burger: Toast the buns over a medium heat in a dry pan for about 30 seconds. Cut a Spanish onion into rings. Chop the parsley. Slice the tomatoes. Add the patties to the bottom bun, top with the sauce, then add the tomatoes, then onion rings, and then parsley.
Low‐fat Version; To make a low‐fat version, you’ll need to make your own chorizo. All the commercial ones are relatively high in fat. Take 1 cup of your favorite veggie crumbles and marinate them in 1 tbsp. of
chile powder, 1/8 tsp. of cloves, 1/8 tsp. of cinnamon, ½ tsp. of black pepper, ½ tsp. of cumin, 1 tsp. of dried oregano, and 3 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar. Toss the crumbles with all these ingredients and let them sit for a couple hours. If you are using dried crumbles, add just enough water so the crumbles will moisten. For the aioli, use Nayonaise for the vegan mayonnaise and bake the patties on 350 degrees for 20 minutes instead of sautéing them.
Presentation; I usually serve this close‐faced, so the tomato, onion, and aioli flavors can penetrate the top bun. To add some color, I suggest using some extra chopped parsley as a sprinkled garnish for the plate.
Where to Shop; Trader Joe’s carries my favorite brand of soy chorizo, though several varieties are available at places like Whole Foods. You can also get the green olives while you’re there, as well as relatively
inexpensive saffron. That’s not always easy to come by! Approximate cost per serving is $3.00.
How It Works; Even though the chorizo used is a Mexican‐style chorizo, I wanted the rest of the burger to be reminiscent of a veggie paella, so the burger uses fresh tomato, Spanish onion, white beans, and
plenty of green olives. The beans mash up nicely, creating a binder for all the ingredients while the oats firm up the mashed beans so that the patty can maintain its shape. Because the burger has strong flavors, it needs a strong sauce. The aioli does just that and the lemon accent helps brighten the burger.
Recipe via regular GirlieGirl Army Contributor Jason Wyrick, the executive Chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, the world’s only vegan culinary magazine. Check out this month’s issue and subscribe for free at www.veganculinaryexperience.com!