Yes, it’s a “burger” made from – among other things – steel cut oats. The idea is not new, but I became aware of it when I decided to do a bit of research on what I could make with some leftover, cooked steel cut oats. You’re probably ready to bail on this post, but hang in there with me.
Start with a base of onion, carrot, garlic and some leftover steel cut oats.
Cook the onion in some sunflower oil for about 4-5 minutes. Then add the garlic and carrot and continue to cook over medium heat. Things are smelling pretty good right about now.
Add in the steel cut oats and continue to cook for a moment. Then, you’ll add mushrooms and cook another few minutes.
Once cooked everything’s melded together, you’ll add the nuts, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, salt and pepper, and parsley, shape the mixture into a patty and fry for a few minutes on each side. This step is tricky and I did find the mixture a bit loose, even after adding the beaten egg. So, I improvised and used a cookie cutter to hold the mixture together while cooking and it worked for the most part.
I have to say, I was so pleasantly surprised by the taste of this “burger”. In both texture and taste, it, for me, approximated a grilled beef burger. I’ll admit, I’m not a beef aficionado, but I do eat beef about once a month, and it’s usually a really good burger, so I’m able to make an educated comparison here. The combination of the earthy mushrooms, slightly crunchy nuts and texture of the steel cut oats magically combines to make a tasty vegetarian “burger”.
Printable recipe
I think you should try it and come back to let me know what you think!