National Veggie Burger Day

It’s summer grilling season, but what if it rains?! This beautifully blended veggie burger packs a powerful punch with taste and texture and it is made in the oven. With a light crust on the outside and meat-like quality on the inside, this burger hits a home-run for nutritional value, and a grand-slam once you load it up with juicy veggie toppings! We can’t forget the dairy since it’s not only national dairy month, but it also packs a ton of flavor and benefits!

Ingredients

1 Medium Eggplant, diced in 1” cubes

Spray avocado oil

8 oz. Sliced White Mushrooms

½ c. Unsalted Walnuts

½ c. Oats

2 large Eggs, lightly whisked 

1 Lemon, juiced and zested 

¼ c. Fresh Parsley, minced

1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, minced

1 Tbsp. Fresh Dill

2 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

2 tsp. Ground Coriander

½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

2 tsp. Dried Garlic

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

Pepper to taste

6 Whole Grain Bun of choice

Optional Toppings: avocado, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

1, 5.3 oz Chobani plain Greek yogurt

1 oz feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup diced cucumbers

½ Tbsp. garlic powder

½ Tbsp. dried dill

1 tsp. pepper

Splash of lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper as to not overcrowd the pan
3. Place eggplant and mushrooms on separate sides of baking sheet
4. Spray lightly with oil and season with pepper as desired
5. Bake eggplant and mushrooms for 20 minutes
6. Reserve the baking sheet with parchment paper to use again
7. In a food processor pulse oats to “breadcrumb” texture and pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside
8. In the same food processor pulse walnuts to quinoa size texture
9. Pour into the large mixing bowl
10. Prep tzatziki sauce by placing all ingredients into a bowl and mixing together
11. Prep all optional toppings as desired
12. Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees F
13. Pulse eggplant a few times in a food processor until coarse in texture
14. Transfer to the mixing bowl
15. Pulse mushrooms until coarse (about pea size) and add to the same bowl (PRO TIP: pulsing everything together will make the mixture too mushy, so take your time)
16. Add all other ingredients and stir to combine
17. Form 6 patties
18. Bake until crispy and browned, about 20 minutes

NUTRITION

Calories: 284

Carbohydrates: 37g

Protein: 14g

Fat: 9g

Sugar: 5g

Fiber: 10g

Cholesterol: 68mg

Sodium: 80mg