BBQ SAUCE
1 cup sugar free tomato sauce
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sweetener of choice (coconut sugar / maple syrup / agave syrup)
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2-3 drops liquid smoke
• Salt and pepper to taste
BURGER PATTY
1 cup black beans, cooked + drained (no liquid)
• 1 cup sweet potato or butternut, peeled + steamed
• 2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
• Half a red onion, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 4 tbsp brown rice flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp tamari (can sub soy sauce)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt + pepper to taste
SERVE WITH:
• Rolls of choice
• Greens, lettuce or rocket
• Caramelised onions or pickled onions
• Guacamole or avo slices
• Vegan mayo
• Cucumber ribbons
• Tomato slices
Method
BBQ SAUCE:
Combine all ingredients together in a blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a pot and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
BURGER:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions, cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cook until the onions start to soften, add the mushrooms and continue cooking for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, tamari and black pepper. Set this mixture aside. To a food processor, add the black beans (make sure they are dry and don’t have excess liquid) and walnuts. Pulse a few times, you don’t want a smooth mixture but you want the beans and nuts to break down a bit so they are still a little chunky but some bits are softer and broken up like a crumble. It adds to the texture of the patty. Remove from food processor and set mixture aside. Then place the steamed sweet potato or butternut into the food processor along with the cooked onions and mushroom mix. Pulse a few times so that the mixture combines but isn’t smooth – this is the mix that will bring all the flavour to the patty. In a bowl, combine the two mixtures together and add the brown rice flour. If your mixture is too wet, add a bit more flour and gently mix everything together. Wet your hands and then shape the mixture into 4 burger patties. The mixture will make 4 large burger patties but you can make 6-8 smaller ones too. The burger patties can then be Air Fried, baked in the oven or cooked on a non-stick pan. Make sure to flip the burgers over gently so that they cook through on both sides. I Air Fried these burgers on high at 204C for 15 minutes, turning them over at the halfway mark and didn’t use any oil. But if you are going to bake them or cook them I would suggest brushing them with olive oil beforehand. I added the BBQ sauce onto the burger patty when serving but the BBQ sauce can also be used to baste the burger while cooking.
Pair with Absolute Zero Nectar Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine.
ABOUT THE WINE:
A delicious non-alcoholic champagne with tiny festive bubbles, luscious rich honey, fresh fruit and nougat on the palate, well balanced with a smooth finish.
