SAMFA, the South African Mushroom’s Farmers’ Association, is committed to increasing plant-based nutrition while simultaneously lessening the demand for animal protein. They’ve introduced the #Blendability concept, the aim of which is to replace 50% of the meat content of a dish with equal quantities mushrooms. Clever right? What’s even more ingenious is that if you do it cleverly, no one will be any the wiser. When the team over at SAMFA asked me to come up with a recipe using fresh, cultivated mushrooms, a host of mouthwatering suppers followed. This healthy hamburgers with chipotle mayo turned out to be the winning recipe.
If you’re a Masterchef fan, I’m sure you’ve heard the word ‘umami’. It’s a primary taste, much the same as sweet or salt, except it picks up savoury profiles. Mushrooms fall into this category. There are a host of health benefits to eating more mushrooms. It helps to lower blood pressure and supports red blood cell production.
I made the buns with this spelt hamburger bun recipe. If you’re like, a good brioche or wholemeal bun are also good. The beef patty is made from free-range beef mince and finely chopped portabellini mushrooms. A I threw in some cooked quinoa,too. I’d definitely recommend you make double and freeze half for later. Layer the uncooked patties between sheets of cling film and freeze in an air-tight container. The chipotle mayo is ridiculously good and should come with a ‘could lead to addiction tag’. OR you could try this homemade smoky tomato sauce.
Healthy Hamburgers with chipotle mayo
Makes 5-6
- olive oil, for frying
- 250g portabellini mushrooms, very finely diced
- zest of half a lemon
- 250g free-range lean beef mince
- about half a teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- a generous pinch of ground coriander
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 spring onions, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- hamburger buns, buttered (I used my spelt hamburger bun recipe)
- tomatoes, sliced
- red onion rings
- crisp lettuce
- 3 tablespoons thick mayonnaise combined with 1/2 teaspoon chipotle paste and a squeeze of lemon juice
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan and cook the mushrooms on a high heat until all the liquid has evaporated. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the lemon zest and mix through. Place the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
- Add the mince, all the spices, Dijon mustard, spring onions, quinoa, egg and breadcrumbs to the mushrooms. Mix by hand to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Divide into 5-6 equal sized portions and shape into patties. Cover and chill until firm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the patties until a golden crust forms on one side. Carefully turn over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the meat is done to your liking.
- Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and reduce. Add a splash of water and turn the patties over to cover both sides in the sticky pan juices.
- Toast the buns and start stacking your burger first with lettuce, then tomato, beef patty, onion and finally a generous dollop of chipotle mayo.
- Clasp between two hands and apply to face!
Another burger to love and a bun recipes that will become a favourite :
12 Comments. Leave new
Hi Di,
Can you substitute the quinoa with brown rice?
Hi there Annette. You sure can. It’ll be a little more challenging to keep the patty together as the rice texture is slightly larger, but it’ll taste great!
Ah these burgers look great! And I love how there is quinoa in the patties. Love the photos.
They look great. The mayo sounds tasty, thanks for the idea
I love the addition of mushrooms and quinoa! I can’t believe you made the buns, they’re perfect!
Thanks Melissa. It’s such a great way to include more veg and plant protein into a hamburger. Those spelt buns are fast becoming our go-to burger buns.
Once you start with the chipotle thing, it’s quite addictive!
Thank you Thalia. The quinoa adds great texture, apart from also being really healthy and delicious.
Always link to the other recipes you reference! Your burger buns look great!
Thanks. They are really good.
Hi, the quinoa you put it dry in the mixture or you leave it in the water for some time to get soft?
Hello Emmanouil. The quinoa should be precooked as per the pack instructions and drained.