I’ve been working a while now on a good, flavoursome vegetarian burger recipe. From wet to dry, bland to way over-spiced, it’s all about finding the right balance of flavours and making sure the burger holds together. So after some tests and trials, I present to you my vegetarian burger with homemade ketchup 🙂 And I can promise you this: it was worth the wait and it’s absolutely delicious! It has a smooth and soft consistency and packs in flavour! If you want a bit of smokiness, use smoked paprika instead of the regular one and you can substitute the halloumi with smoked cheese (like the amazing smoked cheddar. Yes, please!). Don’t forget the gin & tonics on the side! 😉

Burgers

  • 250 gr canned kidney beans, washed and drained
  • 125 gr canned lentils, washed and drained
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 50 gr breadcrumbs
  • 6 chestnut mushrooms, cleaned
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardemom
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • A small pinch of ground cloves
  • Salt

Ketchup

  • 400 gr canned tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon (smoked) paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • A small pinch of mace or grated nutmeg
  • Black pepper

To serve

  • 200 gr halloumi
  • Buns of coice
  • Mayonnaise

Directions

  1. Start with the ketchup. Place all the ketchup ingredients in a sauce pan and leave to cook gently about 30 minutes.
  2. For the burgers, place all the burger ingredients in a food processor and blitz until you get a smooth dough.
  3. Make your hands wet and shape the burgers.
  4. Cut the halloumi into slice of about 0,5 cm.
  5. Heat two pans. Drizzle some oil in the first to bake the burgers. In the other one, place the halloumi slices (without any oil or butter).
  6. Make sure that the burgers and halloumi get a nice brown colour on both sides.
  7. Cut the bun open and spread some mayonnaise on the bottom side.
  8. Place the burgers, top with a tablespoon of ketchup and the halloumi.
  9. Serve immediately with sweet potato fries and some extra mayonnaise and ketchup on the side.