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Autumn Vegan Burger with arugula, mayo, and caramelized leeks on an onion roll. The top half of the roll rests to the side of the burger.
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5 from 5 votes

Autumn Burger w/ Healthy Vegan Mayo

From sweet butternut squash to thyme and sea salt, the fall flavor intensity here has a “go big or go home” attitude. A little extra effort is truly worth it because these little patties are insanely delicious!Reprinted with permission from Vegan Burgers and Burritos by Sophia DeSantis, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Sophia DeSantis **Lifestyle Photos by Chris Nelson Photography 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Burger, Entree
Cuisine: dairy free, gluten free, oil free, refined sugar free, soy free, vegan
Servings: 5
Calories: 172kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (719 g) chopped raw butternut squash
  • 8 tbsp (118 ml) low-sodium veggie broth, divided (for roasting)(or drizzle of oil)
  • 2 tsp (10 g) sea salt, divided
  • ¾ cup (135 g) peeled and chopped apples
  • ¾ cup (114 g) sliced leeks
  • 1 ½ tbsp (14 g) chopped garlic
  • 1 ½ tbsp (2.5 g) dried thyme
  • 1 ½ cups (241 g) cooked brown rice
  • 6 tbsp (55 g) pumpkin seeds

Lemon Thyme Mayo

  • ¼ cup (55 g) Healthy Vegan Mayo, WHAT? (recipe follows)
  • 2 tsp 10 ml lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

Healthy Vegan Mayo, WHAT?

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F (204C).
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the squash with 5 tablespoons (74 ml) of broth or a drizzle of oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the squash on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place the apples, leeks, garlic and thyme in the bowl and mix well with the other 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of broth or a drizzle of oil. Add this mixture to the cookie sheet with the roasted squash, mix around to incorporate and roast for 30 minutes.
  • While the vegetable mixture is roasting, place the rice, pumpkin seeds and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt into a food processor. Pulse until chopped well.
  • To make the Lemon Thyme Mayo, combine Healthy Vegan Mayo, WHAT? (instructions below), lemon juice and thyme in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside for serving.
  • Once the veggie mix is done roasting, allow it to cool a few minutes, then add the mix to the processor and pulse only a few times to incorporate. Don’t overpulse.
  • Place the mixture into a bowl, and put it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes; an hour is best. Making this the day before and letting it sit overnight is optimal. This helps all flavors marinate and leads to a sturdier burger.
  • To cook, shape the mixture into patties. If you’re not using a nonstick pan, then you may want to prepare the pan by brushing it with a tad of oil to avoid sticking. Place the patties in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat for 15 minutes on each side. Pans and stovetops vary, so begin to check the patties at 10 minutes. If you try to slide your spatula under a patty and it won’t give, then it isn’t ready and needs to cook longer.
  • You can also bake the patties on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 375F (191C) for about 20 to 25 minutes on each side. Allow the patties to cool and set for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve on buns with the Lemon Thyme Mayo and toppings of your choice.

Healthy Vegan Mayo, WHAT?

  • Put the cashews, water, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, mustard seed, and garlic into a high-speed blender and purée until smooth. Refrigerate the mayo to thicken.

Notes

~Kids: Make patties into a smaller slider size or into nuggets. Serve mayo on the side as a dipper.
~For the Healthy Vegan Mayo, WHAT?: If you are not using a high-speed blender, there are a couple of options for making your sauce smooth: You can use a coffee grinder to grind everything to a fine powder, or make sure to soak your cashews overnight, or for at least 2 to 3 hours. If you forget, you can also boil them for 30 minutes.
~Nutrition facts calculated for burgers alone, not including buns or condiments.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 815mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 12150IU | Vitamin C: 37.1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2.2mg