Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 1 recipe Cornbread Loaf
- 1 cup finely diced onion (approx. 1 sm onion)
- 1 cup finely diced celery (approx 3 celery stalks)
- 1 cup finely diced red pepper (approx. 1 red pepper)
- 1 jalapeño, minced (use more or less as desired)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 cup almonds, chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 pkg sprouts, such as alfalfa or broccoli sprouts
- 3 tbsp chia or ground flax seeds
- 9 tbsp water
To start, first, prepare and bake the cornbread. For the cornbread, we use this Cornbread Wheat Germ Loaf but feel free to use your preferred cornbread recipe if you have one — the recipe calls for about 1 to 1.5 lbs of cornbread.
Prepare and gather all of the ingredients. For the almonds, either chop them by hand or pulse them a few times in a food processor. You just do not want them to be too fine—a few bigger pieces add a nice texture.
Lastly, mix the chia seeds and water together and set aside.
Step 2: Making the Burgers
- coconut oil for frying (or other cooking oil)
- sea salt, to taste
To make the burgers, heat a large frypan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon or so of oil and then add the onions, along with a good pinch of salt. Let cook for a few minutes and then add the celery and cook until soft and translucent — 5 minutes or so. Next, add the garlic and cook for a minute or so. Then add the red peppers, jalapeño, almonds, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt. Let cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or so and then remove from the heat.
Pour everything into a large bowl and add the chia/water mixture. Mix well to combine. Then add the alfalfa sprouts and mix again. Lastly, add the cornbread and mix well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or chili flakes as desired.
Next, form the burgers into patties. Pressing them well to ensure they stick together. The recipe makes anywhere from 6 to 8 burgers, depending on how big you make them. A good size is about 6 to 7 ounces each.
Once the patties have been formed, cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to firm up. This just helps them keep their shape when frying so they don’t fall apart. Shaping can be done a few hours or up to a day in advance.
Step 3: Cooking the Burgers
- coconut oil for frying
- sprouts, such as alfalfa or broccoli sprouts*
- pickled jalapeños*
- Dijon mustard*
- thinly sliced onions*
- salsa**
Once you are ready to cook the burgers, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
To cook the burgers, heat a frypan over medium heat, and once hot add a tablespoon or so of oil. A non-stick pan works quite well for these burgers.
Next, add the burgers and let them cook for a few minutes on the first side. Once the first side is golden, gently flip the burgers. Cook on the other side for a few more minutes and then place the burgers onto a tray lined with parchment. Place into the oven to finish cooking. Let cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until completely heated through.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the buns and all of your favorite fixings.
*Note: While the toppings are ultimately up to you, this particular combination really does add to the final result. We typically top these burgers with pickled jalapeños, Dijon mustard, salsa, and a big bunch of alfalfa sprouts.
**Note: For the salsa, either use a fresh salsa or simply chop some tomatoes and pickled jalapeños and toss together. Add a few good spoonfuls to each burger—it really adds to the overall flavor — corn relish also goes really well with these burgers.
Once the burgers are done, assemble and enjoy them with a salad or some nice roasted potato wedges.
These plant-based burgers are inspired by Rebar restaurant in Victoria, BC. — they make a similar burger that is very popular and it has been on the menu since they opened.
Note that these burgers don’t have the typical binders in them so they are not ones you can just throw on the grill — they are best fried and then gently flipped — and while they may fall apart a bit when eating, they are still super delicious.
To make these burgers gluten-free as well, here is a recipe for some gluten-free cornbread:
• 2 cups gluten-free cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp sweetener of choice (maple syrup, honey, sugar)
• 1 cup gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose baking flour)
• 2 cups non-dairy milk, room temperature
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp apple cider (or lemon juice)
To make the cornbread, first preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Next, mix all of the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Next, add the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix to combine. Place into a greased 8″ × 8″ -inch pan, loaf pan or cast-iron skillet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the top is firm to the touch. Once done, allow the bread to cool completely. Then slice and break up into chunks.