X-Cell-Ent Burger

8.3community · 3 votes8.3BM score

8.3

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About

Mr. Burns launched the X-Cell-Ent Burger after his near-fatal fifty-burger binge and tried to reinvent himself as a champion of healthy eating. In the episode, the burger was supposedly made from rare endangered Amazon plants. This real-world version keeps the spirit of the burger while using lentils, chickpeas, walnuts, beets, and oats to create a surprisingly convincing meat-free patty. The finished burger should look surprisingly close to a medium-cooked beef burger. The patty should have a deep reddish center from the beets, melted cheese over the top, and fresh vegetables adding contrast. Serve immediately while the onion rings are still crisp. It scored 8.3 out of 10 here, and readers have voted on it 3 times since. The full method runs to 8 steps below. Read the whole thing once before you start: a couple of the steps overlap and it saves a burnt batch.

Ingredients

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patty

Lentils1 cup canned lentils, drained
Chickpeas1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
Walnuts1/2 cup walnuts
Beetroot2 small cooked beets, vacuum packed or roasted
Beetroot2 tbsp beet juice
Oats1/2 cup rolled oats
Salt1 tsp salt
Black pepper1/2 tsp black pepper
Vegetable oil1 tbsp vegetable oil

toppings

American cheese2 slices American cheese
White onion3 onion rings, sliced from 1 onion
Ketchup2 tbsp ketchup
Tomato4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Iceberg lettuce1 large lettuce leaf

assembly

Burger bun2 whole grain seed burger buns, toasted

Recipe

1
Add the lentils, chickpeas, walnuts, cooked beets and beet juice to a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth but leave a little texture. The mixture should resemble ground meat rather than a puree.
2
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the rolled oats. Mix thoroughly and let it rest for 5 minutes so the oats absorb excess moisture. Season with salt and black pepper.
3
Form the mixture into 2 patties about 2 cm thick. If the mixture feels sticky, lightly oil your hands. A burger mold helps keep the shape neat and even.
4
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Cook the patties for 4 minutes on the first side until a crust forms. Vegan patties are delicate, so avoid moving them before they're ready.
5
Flip carefully with a wide spatula. Season the top with a little extra salt and black pepper, then place an American cheese slice on each patty. Cook for another 4 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted.
6
Place the onion rings into the same pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and lightly caramelized. Toast the whole grain buns during the last minute of cooking.
7
Spread ketchup on the bottom bun. Add the patty with melted cheese, the cherry tomato halves and the fried onion rings.
8
Top with the lettuce leaf, add a small extra squeeze of ketchup to the top bun, then close the burger. Serve immediately while the patty is hot and the onions are still crisp.