Many vegans, plant based folks, vegetarians, and the culinary adventurous enjoy a good old fashioned mushroom veggie burger. I have had my fair share over the years. Some incredibly tasty. Some more or less forgettable. This vegan mushroom farro burger recipe with tarragon, white beans, eggplant and more hits the mark!
I thought for a very long time about this recipe. Over a year. I knew I wanted to use fresh tarragon. I wanted to use white beans. The rest came together over time. And in the end, it’s a vegan mushroom farro burger with a tasty flavor that also stays together on the grill.
I would strongly urge using fresh tarragon and fresh parsley. It does make a difference in the freshness of the burger and the flavor. While you can top this vegan mushroom farro burger patty with whatever you want, I would highly recommend some almond ricotta (store bought or homemade), caramelized red onions, and dijon mustard. If you want to get fancy, throw on some microgreens.
When grilling, I use non-stick aluminum foil. It makes a big difference when making veggie burgers. It keeps burgers from sticking to the grill. It keeps them from falling through the cracks. It makes flipping them a total breeze. And if that’s not enough, it also makes clean-up super easy.
This recipe makes 4 large burgers or 6 smaller burgers. You’ll need to adjust how long you grill based on how large you make the burgers. I made 4 large burgers, and grilled them on a gas grill at 450º F for 7 minutes on each side. Adjust as you see necessary, and based on how “charred” you like your mushroom farro burger.
Discover other UVK recipes, like Italian White Bean Burgers, Rosemary Lentil Walnut Burgers, Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables, Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Burgers, Spicy Black and White Bean Burgers, and more.
Mushroom Farro Burger
2 Tbsp olive oil (plus more to drizzle)
1 cup chopped red onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups white mushrooms chopped into bite-size pieces
4 cups eggplant chopped into bite-size pieces
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cups cooked farro, divided
16 ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp garlic powder
⅓-½ cup flax seed meal
Optional toppings:
Dijon mustard
Microgreens
1. First, you’ll sauté the aromatics for the mushroom farro burgers. In a large skillet, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, onion, garlic and a dash of salt. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, eggplant, and soy sauce. Sauté for 10-15 minutes over medium, stirring constantly. You want to evaporate the soy sauce, and “sweat out” as much water as possible from the mushrooms and eggplant.
3. Add 1 cup farro, 1 cup white beans, ½ of the mushroom-eggplant sauté, ¼ cup parsley, 2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, dijon, lemon zest and garlic powder to a blender. Blend until it’s mostly smooth (it doesn’t want to be a “smoothie”, so some bits and pieces are good!). Spoon the contents of the blender into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the remaining whole cooked farro, white beans, mushroom/eggplant sauté, parsley and tarragon to the large mixing bowl. Add the flax seed meal. Combine with a wooden spoon or spatula. Allow it to sit in the fridge for ~15 minutes (this will allow the flax seed meal to congeal a bit). If it still feels too wet to you, add more flax seed meal, and then, wait a bit.
5. For this recipe, I made 4 large mushroom farro burgers out of the mixture, and thus, the times below are for making 4. If you make more than 4 burgers (6-8), they will take less time to cook on each side. In addition, everyone has a different version of how “charred” they like their burger. Adjust accordingly for size and desired level of “char”.
TO GRILL: Line a gas grill with a large piece of non-stick aluminum foil. Shape 4 large burgers out of the burger mixture, and brush with olive oil. I used a gas grill at 450º F, and grilled for 7 minutes on each side.
TO PAN FRY: Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet, and warm over medium heat. Shape 4 burgers out of the burger mixture. Fry over medium-low heat and allow to cook for ~7 minutes on each side.
TO BAKE: Preheat the oven to 450º F. Line a large cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Shape 4 burgers out of the burger mix, and brush them with olive oil. Place the burgers on the non-stick aluminum foil. When the oven reaches 450º F, bake for 7 minutes, then remove the cookie sheet, flip each burger, and return it to the oven. Bake for another 7 minutes.
6. Allow to cool for ~3 minutes before serving. The mushroom farro burgers will set-up even more. 3 minutes is just enough time to properly dress a bun, anyway 🙂 Top with vegan ricotta cheese, caramelized red onions, dijon, and micro-greens, or with your favorite burger toppings!
