smokey pumpkin tempeh veggie burgers

Regardless of the time of year, Justin and I love a good veggie burger. They are quick, easy and can be loaded with tons veggie goodness. 

When it comes to veggie burgers the possibilities are truly endless - homemade veggie burgers typically freeze well making it an awesome mid week go to when you don't have time to "cook". Make a batch over the weekend and freeze the rest to enjoy throughout the month.

Iv'e mentioned a few times my love for savory pumpkin dishes and this one totally fits the bill in both savory + pumpkin departments.

I still have a crap ton of greens growing in the garden- our Dino Kale is loving this cooler weather and is totally thriving.   Plus who needs an excuse for sneaking in greens wherever + whenever possible.

The seasonings are pretty straight forward, the star is the liquid smoke which ties everything together- I am a sucker for smokey tempeh anything!

All ingredients minus the breadcrumbs are added to a food processor and blended a few times- the breadcrumbs are then folded into the mixture and shaped into veggie burgers.

When it comes to veggie burgers or dogs I am all about the toppings- the more I can fit the better. However, this time around I opted to keep it pretty simple- caramelized onions ('cause they make everything better ) a good spreading of veganaise + broccoli sprouts. 

You could definitely spice up your veganaise by adding a hit of chipotle + maple syrup or sub in chipotle for sriracha.

Our burgers are never complete until the fries or chips join in- a good cold beer is usually in order too. Magic Hat Wilhem Scream is a pretty amazing Seasonal Craft Brew that would pair amazingly well with this veggie burger.

I'm sorry/not sorry for so many veggie burger pictures- I really could not help myself.

Do you load on the toppings or go for the bare minimum when it comes to your dogs + burgers?

Smokey Pumpkin Tempeh Veggie Burger

makes 6 burgers

you will need:

  8 oz tempeh - roughly cut into pieces

2 cups lacinato (dino) kale shredded- stems removed

 2 cloves garlic - peeled + crushed

5 medium baby bella mushrooms- cut in half

2 tbsp chives

1/3 cup pepitas

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cumin 

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp liquid smoke 

2 tsp Sriracha or to taste

(1) 15 oz can canned pumpkin 

1 cup panko bread crumbs*

broccoli sprouts

caramelized onions

assembly:

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

Place Tempeh, kale, garlic + mushrooms into a bowl of a food processor and process for a minute or so until mixture begins to form. 

Add chives through sriracha and process until all large pieces of mushrooms, tempeh + garlic are broken down into smaller bits. 

Pulse in Pumpkin until well mixed.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, fold in bread crumbs . Working with a heaping 1/2 cup at a time form mixture into patties. Place patties on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Continue until mixture is gone, you should get 6 veggie burgers.

Bake for 10-15 minutes , until bottoms begin to brown then flip and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven + serve with your favorite toppings!

To make caramelized onions- thinly slice 1/2 a large onion into rounds, add to a small saute pan with 1 tbsp of vegan butter. Cook over medium/low heat stirring occasionally until caramelized. About 15-20 minutes. Great to make while the burgers are cooking!

Enjoy!

*to make gluten free simply use gluten free bread crumbs