These gluten-free Mushroom Quinoa Burgers with shiitake mushrooms are perfect for when you want a truly satisfying veggie burger! Serve them with my miso aioli for an umami-packed burger without any meat.
Lately, I found myself enjoying meatless burgers like these gluten-free mushroom quinoa burgers so much more than their meaty counterparts.
Making a really good veggie burger is my favorite challenge in the kitchen! I mean, the possibilities of what you can put into a meatless burger patty are pretty much endless: healthy grains, legumes like lentils and chickpeas, fresh or dried herbs and spices, veggies like carrots and beets! Can this ever get boring?
Here's my current favorite veggie burger that I could eat all summer long! What wowed me about these mushroom quinoa burgers is the complex flavor profile. This can be achieved by combining naturally umami-rich plant-based ingredients to form a perfect patty that is crispy on the outside and moist, not crumbly, and won't fall apart either. As we use quinoa as a base these are also packed with some plant-based protein! LOVE.
For the burger patties, onions and shiitake mushrooms are sauteed and then mixed with egg, protein-rich quinoa, some ground oats, and flavor-boosting herbs for a gluten-free meatless burger that will knock your socks off. But we don't stop there. I promised you an umami bomb and an umami bomb you shall have!
Miso is always a great addition to make meatless dishes more savory and turns an otherwise plain aioli into an umami bomb. It just seemed like the perfect fit for the shiitake burgers. You see we have a bit of a Japanese theme going on here, which I LOVE and I know you will too. Now don't be intimidated. Our Miso Aioli is a simple cheater's version using storebought mayo! A four-ingredient affair that's made with simple pantry ingredients. If you add the optional chopped shallots it is like a Japanese tartar sauce and be warned - you'll want to put it on everything!
This recipe works best with day-old quinoa but will work with freshly cooked quinoa as well. If you don’t have cooked quinoa, start with that.
Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Place in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Depending on the brand it might take up to 20 minutes or even longer to cook. I always check after 12 minutes to see if the quinoa is tender. Drain in a sieve and set aside to cool.
Place the onion in the food processor and process until finely minced. Remove and set aside in a bowl. Add the mushroom and process until finely minced. Set aside too. If you don’t have a food processor, make sure to mince the onion and mushroom finely.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Add the minced onion and cook until lightly golden. Remove in a large bowl. Increase the heat to medium high and add another teaspoon of olive oil.
Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Place in the same bowl as the onions and leave to cool. Wipe the pan.
Make the patties. Add cooled quinoa and oat flour to the bowl. Mix until well distributed. Test and adjust seasonings with sea salt and pepper as necessary. Add the beaten egg and mix until well combined.
Form the mixture into patties (around 4 larges patties or 5 medium) and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
While the patties are chilling, make the miso aioli. Mix lemon juice, miso paste and maple syrup together until the miso is dissolved. Stir in mayo and season with salt and fresh pepper to taste. If you want, stir in some minced shallots (1 - 2 tsp).
Return the frying pan you used for the mushrooms to a medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Place the patties in the frying pan and cook for 8-10 minutes on each side until golden brown. If eating with burger buns, I recommend toasting the bread in the same skillet, for extra deliciousness!
Assemble your burgers: Spread some aioli on the toasted bun then add the quinoa patties, lettuce, tomato and garlic. Enjoy immediately.
If you tried these Mushroom Quinoa Burgers, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
