Vegan Burger

Jean Carper, an American journalist and essayist, said: "Eat legumes, especially beans. No other cheap, readily available, quick and safe cholesterol remedies exist in nature." The bean has been the subject of very different opinions for years. Catalogued in the collective imagination as "food of the poor", indigestible and lacking in flavour, this legume had the good fortune or misfortune to feed thousands of people during famine. This was before being snubbed by modern man until eventually becoming recognised within the science of contemporary nutrition, becoming a symbol of a natural diet which is healthy, sustainable and not at all poor.

The bean, indeed, is a very rich food, to be eaten at least 2-3 times a week and is a friend of fitness and youth: free of fat, contains lecithin, which reduces bad cholesterol and therefore lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. This legume contains slow-release starches that regulate glycemic peaks and guarantee a prolonged sense of fullness, lots of fibre that can limit the absorption of sugars and fats taken from other foods, phytoestrogens and vitamin B9 very useful for the well-being of women, anthocyanins and powerful antioxidants that act against aging of the body.

Beans are also an excellent source of protein, about 20% of their weight, we now want to dispel the cliché of vegetarian alternatives to tasteless, sad meat. If cooked well, the beans are delicious and so is our special Vegan Burger, made with cannellini and chickpeas, another wonderful and versatile health friendly legume.

A 100% veg and tasty burger

To obtain an excellent veg burger you need to take care of two elements: taste, which should not arouse any comparison with meat, and texture, neither hard nor soft nor excessively smooth, but nice firm, full-bodied and rustic. To obtain greater complexity of taste to the mix of legumes we add chopped herbs, a pinch of chilli, aubergine pulp roasted in the oven and champignon. The latter, like all mushrooms, are practically calorie-free and contain lentin, a molecule that has to do with life expectancy, as it is antibacterial, antitumorous and an antioxidant. The consistency is given by using chickpea flour, which allows you to avoid the egg in favour of an additional protein boost which is 100% vegan.

For the sauce we rely on celeriac which is a diuretic, purifying, rich in vitamin K, which supports bone mineralization and prevents neuronal damage, and its intense flavour. Once smooth, a creamy texture is obtained to become the perfect accompaniment to the veg burger. A few raw vegetables of the season, spinach just sauteed with lemon juice and the dish is ready. Who would have said that the elixir of youth could be eaten between two slices of wholemeal bread?

50 g cooked chickpeas per person
50 g of beans cooked per person
2 aubergines
300 g of fresh mushrooms
2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
100 g spinach
1 lemon
1 celeriac
1 tablespoon mustard
40 ml Extra Virgin oil
Chives as needed
Parsley as needed
Chilli as needed
Breadcrumbs as needed
Chickpea flour as needed