Description
This Grilled Portobello and Eggplant Veggie Burger offers a delicious and savory vegetarian option featuring marinated portobello mushrooms and grilled eggplant slices. Enhanced with a smoky, garlicky mayo sauce, caramelized shallots, and fresh veggies like arugula, avocado, tomato, and basil, this burger is perfect for a hearty and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt, to taste
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Other Ingredients
- 4 slices eggplant (about 1/2 inch thick)
- 4 shallots
- 1 tablespoon butter and/or olive oil (for frying shallots)
- Butter (for toasting buns)
- Burger buns
- Arugula, for topping
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Tomato, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Marinate the Mushrooms: Remove stems from portobello mushrooms. In a large ZipLoc bag, combine olive oil, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, ground cumin, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and salt to make the marinade. Add the mushrooms and marinate for 1-2 hours to absorb the flavors.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
- Caramelize the Shallots: Slice shallots thinly. Heat a tablespoon of butter and/or olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and browned. Reduce heat to medium-low if they start to burn. Set the caramelized shallots aside.
- Prep the Eggplant: Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with salt and let sit briefly to draw out moisture.
- Grill Mushrooms and Eggplant: Preheat the grill to high heat, then reduce to medium. Grill the marinated portobello mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Grill eggplant slices for about 4 minutes per side; brush olive oil on each side before and after flipping for easy grilling and flavor enhancement.
- Toast the Buns: Lightly butter the insides of the burger buns. Place them on the grill for about 30 seconds until toasted to your liking, or toast them in the pan used for the shallots over medium-high heat.
- Prepare Veggies: Slice the tomato and avocado to use as burger toppings.
- Assemble the Burger: Spread the prepared sauce generously on the buns. Layer the grilled portobello mushroom, grilled eggplant, caramelized shallots, arugula, sliced avocado, tomato slices, and fresh basil leaves on the bottom bun. Top with the bun lid and serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinating the mushrooms for at least an hour allows them to absorb maximum flavor.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or skillet to cook the mushrooms and eggplant.
- Feel free to adjust the smoky paprika and cumin amounts to suit your taste preference.
- For a vegan option, substitute the mayonnaise and butter with vegan alternatives.
- To prevent the eggplant from becoming soggy, sprinkle salt and let it sit a few minutes before grilling, then pat dry to remove excess moisture.
