This ultimate veggie burger cuts down on the carbs with a mushroom bun, sandwiching fresh tomato, beetroot, grilled haloumi and more. And what’s a good burger without a side of onion rings?
Ingredients
- ½ cup (150 g) whole-egg mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (30 g) char-grilled capsicum, chopped finely
- 8 large portobello mushrooms (800 g)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rice bran oil
- 250 g haloumi, sliced into 4 crossways
- 2 cups loosely packed watercress sprigs
- 1 large ready-to-eat cooked beetroot (150 g), sliced
- 1 large tomato (220 g), sliced thinly
ONION RINGS
- ⅓ cup (50 g) tapioca flour
- ⅓ cup (40 g) almond meal
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 medium onion (150 g), cut into 1cm rings
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour, extra
- Rice bran oil, for deep-frying
Steps
Combine mayonnaise and capsicum in a small bowl; season.
Make onion rings. Combine flour and almond meal in a medium bowl; make a well in the centre. Add egg and milk; whisk to combine. Season. Coat onion rings in extra flour in a medium bowl. Fill a large saucepan one-third full with oil; heat to 180 C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 15 secs). Dip onion rings into batter. Deep-fry, in batches, for 30 secs each side or until browned lightly and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
Place mushrooms and 2 tbsps of the oil in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Cook mushrooms on a heated grill plate (or grill or barbecue) over medium heat for 3 mins each side or until just tender. Transfer to a heatproof plate; cover to keep warm.
Brush haloumi with remaining oil. Cook on heated grill plate for 1 min each side or until browned.
Place 4 mushrooms, stem-side up, onto plates. Top with watercress, haloumi, beetroot, tomato and mayonnaise mixture. Top with remaining mushrooms, stem-side down. Secure with a skewer. Serve with onion rings.
TIP Ready-to-eat cooked beetroot comes in vacuum-sealed packets in the fruit and vegetable section of your supermarket. You will need four skewers for this recipe. For a green boost replace the mayonnaise mixture with kalenaise. Save the frying oil by allowing it to cool then straining through a funnel back into the bottle for another use.
TIP Serve with oven-baked kumara (orange sweet potato) wedges.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au