Description

This delicious, wholesome, oil-free Vegan Pizza Burger is brimming with plant-based goodness and aromatic spices the whole family will love.

Ingredients

Scale

Food Processor Ingredients:

½ cup cooked brown rice *
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons tahini *
1 Tablespoon low-sodium tamari *
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 – [ 15 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Base Ingredients:

½ cup panko crumbs *
2 Tablespoons flax meal
2 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried ground fennel (optional)
½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Optional Toppings:

Marinara sauce *
Pizza Sauce *
Sautéed mushrooms *
Sautéed peppers and onions *
Sprinkle vegan parmesan cheese *

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Add the cooked and refrigerated brown rice to the food processer and pulse for 20 seconds, just to break it up. Then add the green bell pepper and red bell pepper, pulse just until finely minced. Then add all the remaining Food Processer Ingredients and process just until the chickpeas are broken down. Do not over process. Place into a large bowl.
Place the Base Ingredients and the Spice/Herb Mix into the large bowl and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly distributed. Form into 5 burger patties and place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Place in the oven (center rack) and bake for 20 minutes, then flip, and bake for another 15 minutes. (See notes on baking)
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes to set up before serving topped with your favorite marinara sauce, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed peppers and onions, and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.

Notes

*Tips for Success:

Burger Formation: Really pack the burger tightly in your hand to form a firm cohesive ball, then press down while still in your hands and form a flattened disk. Take the time to really smooth out the sides. This helps prevent the disk from cracking while it is baking. They may crack a tiny bit, but you want to make sure you want to shore up the edges before it goes in the oven. This makes 5 large burgers or 6 medium burgers.
Cooked and Refrigerated Brown Rice: Use cooked and refrigerated brown rice. It works best to create the burger. Using freshly made rice will create a mushy burger as it will be too sticky.
Baking Time/Texture: This is where our family was divided. We did multiple kitchen tests. Some members preferred a slightly drier burger while others enjoyed a less dry burger. This is completely within your control. If you bake the burger for 20 minutes on the first side, and 20 minutes on the flip side, then this burger is somewhat slightly drier in comparison to other veggie burgers which was exactly the goal with this burger. We are not fans of mushy burgers or burgers that fall apart. However, some members preferred a less dry burger which meant baking 20 minutes, flipping, then baking another 15 minutes. The burger holds together perfectly with both baking times.
Thickness of the burger: The thickness of this burger is another area within your control. We made multiple kitchen tests and preferred a ¾ -inch thick burger. You can make them thicker, but you may need to increase your oven time to 20 minutes, then flip and another 20 minutes. The main burger in the photo is one-inch thick.
Tahini: Use free flowing tahini. If your tahini has been refrigerated, take out the recipe amount and allow it to come to room temperature. Cold tahini tends to clump up and does not allow for even distribution.
Freezer Friendly: To freeze them, simply make them, cool completely to room temperature, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then place the individually wrapped patties into a freezer bag. You can pull one out at a time, microwave, and devour! They taste as good as the day you made them!

*Notes Continued:

*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.

*Panko Crumbs: We used Ian’s Gluten Free Panko crumbs for this recipe. Ian’s is oil-free but does contain a small amount of sugar in it. Ian’s is generally accepted by the Whole Food Plant Based Community. If you do not need to be gluten free, feel free to use any panko bread crumbs of your choosing.

*Marinara Sauce or Pizza Sauce: (Optional) Feel free to use your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce or you can make our Pizza Sauce or Healthy Marinara Sauce. Or simply top with ketchup.

*Vegan Parmesan Cheese: (Optional) Feel free to use your favorite vegan parmesan cheese or use our Vegan Parmesan Cheese.

*Sautéed Mushrooms: (Optional) Feel free to use your favorite mushrooms. We used 8 oz. cremini mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a large ceramic/enamel lined skillet with 2 Tablespoons of reduced-sodium tamari. Sauté for several minutes over medium heat to get the mushrooms to release their water. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir to combine. Continue to sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the mushrooms have released their water and the mushrooms are cooked through. Set aside.

*Sautéed Onions and Peppers: (Optional) Placed sliced red bell pepper (1 medium), green bell pepper (1 medium) and one medium red (or yellow) onion (sliced) in a large ceramic/enamel lined skillet. Sauté for 7 to 9 minutes over medium-high heat to soften. Add a splash of water to enhance the cooking process. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir to combine. Continue to sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until the peppers and onions have reached the desired tenderness. Set aside.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving: 5

*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 7 days. Freezes well.