Veggie carrot burger with avocado salsa

Today’s Mmmm Monday recipe is a hopeful Veggie Burger. Following some rubbish weather last week, we are hoping this recipe can be enjoyed outside in the garden perhaps without the need for an umbrella?

Prep 30 min
Chill 1 hr
Cook 40 min
Makes 6 burgers

Ingredients

600g carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2cm-thick rounds
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly bashed in a mortar
Salt and black pepper
Olive oil
200g smoked or firm tofu
100g breadcrumbs
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
60g grated (vegetarian or vegan) parmesan
50g sesame seeds, toasted

For the salsa
2 avocados, stoned and roughly chopped
100g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3 spring onions, finely sliced
½ bunch coriander, finely chopped

For the quick pickled radishes
½ bunch radishes, finely sliced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 squeeze honey, or a pinch of sugar

To serve
6 burger buns, split and toasted
Mayonnaise
Lettuce

Method

First, roast the carrots.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/ gas 6. Tumble the carrots on to a baking tray with the smoked paprika, cumin, some salt and pepper, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and roast for a further 10 minutes, until completely soft and starting to brown.

While these are roasting, finely crumble half the tofu into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest, parmesan and sesame seeds.

Once the carrots are ready, take them out of the oven (leave the oven on if baking your burgers), leave them to cool a little, then blitz in a processor with the remaining tofu, until everything is evenly distributed and the mixture is pretty smooth.

Leave to cool a little, then add this to the breadcrumb mixture and mix well, using a spoon to mash and persuade everything to come together. If your mixture looks a little dry, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or water until it comes together nicely.

Shape the mixture into six patties, lay them on a plate, then put in the fridge for an hour.

Once you’re ready to cook, put a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil, swirling it to coat the pan. Add the burgers, and cook for three to four minutes on each side, flipping when well-coloured – or bake for 25-30 minutes. If you are barbecuing the burgers, brush them with oil before cooking on one side, flipping only when they are coloured and crisp enough to come away from the bars easily.

While the burgers are cooking, make the salsa – add all the ingredients to a bowl, season well, give it a good mix, then set aside.

For the pickle, put the radishes in a bowl, cover with the vinegar, add the salt and honey/sugar, and mix well.

When the burgers are nearly done, split and toast your buns.

Spread one half of each bun with a spoonful of mayonnaise, then top with the lettuce leaves, a little salsa, burger and a tablespoon of the pickle. Cover with the bun lid and eat straight away.

Once cool, the uncooked burgers can be wrapped and frozen for up to four months.