Dr McDougall’s McVeggie Burgers

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs firm water-packed tofu, well drained
  • 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 large onion, well chopped
  • 1/2 pound mushroom well chopped (I used 6 oz crimini and 2 oz shiitaki)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups quick oats
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional) I like this for added umami
  • 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • [I added ¾-1 tsp salt, and ¾ tsp dry Italian seasoning]

A PERFECT Plant Burger!

The late Dr. John McDougall and Mary, who developed the recipe, have offered this delicious whole food plant-based burger, (with its iterations) for decades—it perfectly aligns with the principles of the McDougall Program.  It is one of the first homemade plant-based burger recipes that gained popularity in the early days of the plant- based movement. To this day, it remains a favorite among those who follow a WFPB lifestyle.

I am offering this recipe, which she calls their new favorite. It is everything that I would want in a plant-based burger…delicious, very nutritious, nice mouth feel, and holds together well.   See the original at:   https://www.drmcdougall.com/recipes/mcveggie-burgers/

Makes about 16 4” burgers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tofu in a food processor and process until fairly smooth, stopping several times to scrape down the bowl. Transfer the tofu to a large bowl and set aside.

Drain the spinach well and press any excess water out with your hands until it is very dry. Set aside.

Place the water, onions, mushrooms and garlic in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently until onion has softened and all liquid has absorbed, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside.

 Add the oats, and the seasonings that you choose, to the tofu mixture and mix well. Add the spinach and mix well, using your hands. Add the onion mixture and continue to mix with your hands until all ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

The original recipe calls for using hands to making into a ball shape, a bit bigger than a golf ball, and flattening into a burger-sized patty about ¼” thick and placing on a good non-stick

baking sheet. Lightly moisten hands several times to help with sticking. Repeat until all of the mixture is used.

[I scooped the mixture with a large spoon (about 2/3 of a cup) and spooned into a open-bottom burger press to shape directly on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I made 16 of them, between 1/3-1/2 thick]

Bake 20 minutes, then flip over and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool on racks after removing from the oven. Serve with whole grain buns, or as lettuce or collard wraps, and your favorite condiments. ENJOY!

Details