Summer herbs are a treasure trove of flavor, and the bright floral notes of tarragon shine through in this crowd-pleasing burger recipe. Smoky grilled portobellos are layered with fresh spinach, tomato, and a creamy cashew-based tarragon sauce for a meal that will please kids and adults alike. Pair these savory burgers with a handful of Baked French Fries to satisfy all your fast food cravings without the unhealthy ingredients. To make this recipe gluten-free, serve them on certified gluten-free buns.
Tip: To give the mushroom patties a smoky tarragon flavor, dip sprigs of tarragon in water and toss them onto the coals while grilling.
How about these other mouthwatering vegan burgers?
By Shelli McConnell ,
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ to ⅓ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 whole grain hamburger buns, split and toasted
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 4 slices tomato
Instructions
- For sauce, in a blender or small food processor combine soaked, drained cashews with the next four ingredients (through garlic). Cover and blend until smooth, gradually adding plant-based milk until sauce is creamy and spreading consistency. Stir in tarragon. Season with pepper.
- Brush mushrooms with vinegar. Grill mushrooms over medium 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, turning once.
- Fill buns with spinach, mushrooms, and tomato slices. Spoon sauce over top. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 burger), 254 calories, 38 g carbohydrates, 11 g protein, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 322 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 7 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Fantastic, better than I expected. I never had tarragon before, my new favorite herb.
I improvised a little, balsamic glaze, ginger instead of garlic.
And I topped it with pickles and Swiss chard.
I’m glad I tried this recipe, and I like eating healthy.
I like this, and it is very easy. I used white wine vinegar in place of lemon juice, and just buzzed up some cashews in water to make the plant milk. Any fixings would do. The downside for me is it was very messy to eat. I couldn’t eat it in company.
Can I replace the cashews with hemp seeds?
This website has only vegan recipes (vegan ingredients)> Lactose is from mammals. Plant milk has no lactose.
The creaminess of the crema is from the cashews, tahini and plant milk.
There is no dairy, therefore there shouldn’t be any lactose. Hope this helps!
Could you let the mushroom soak up the sauce before grilling them or us it better to add it later?
Substitute suggestions for the creamy sauce
for lactose intolerance?
See the recipe. This is vegan (all recipes on this website are vegan) and only mammalian milk has lactose in it.
Looks good. Is on my list of veggie burgers to try. Thanks.
Is the 11g a complete protein?
Have made this many times now (always with dried tarragon), and it is always a hit. Sometimes I do change it up with the “air-fried portobello” burger version of the mushroom cap itself– basically dipping the mushroom in some plant milk and dredging it through (lightly) spiced up breadcrumbs before airfrying till crispy, 7-9 minutes. This oomphs up the body some and gives a little more ‘weight’ to the mushroom cap on those hungrier days, while keeping the delectable tarragon crema the focus of this burger.
(PS: the crema holds nicely for quite a few days as well. It thickens up a little but gets even better the next day, and works equally well in a variety of lunch sandwiches (e.g. pita’s with grilled veg), etc.))
DELICIOUS!!
I just made this recipe. It was awesome, will definitely add this to my recipe “box.” The sauce was awesome, one small change I might make, would be to use garlic powder, even though it is processed, or use a garlic press rather than mince the garlic.
I noticed another post asked if the gills of the mushroom should be removed, I removed them but don’t know that it was necessary.
Served with a side of kale chips, a Great Labor Day weekend “burger” meal.
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for the feedback, we’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Regarding the mushroom gills, no, you don’t need to do that. Just remove the stems next time and you’ll save yourself some time and still get the same great flavor!
You could probably substitute white beans for the cashews. I’ve done this before.
What can I substitute for the cashews as my son is allergic to nuts?
Boil some potato cubes in place of nuts
Hi Nicole. Thanks for your interest in the recipe! While we have not tested these substitutions, here are some ideas: White beans, such as cannellini beans, or even chickpeas, are a good sub for cashews. You could use the same amount as the cashews, or try bumping it up to 1/2 a cup. Silken tofu Is also likely to work well. (This is my new favorite ingredient, as it makes creamy sauces). If using silken tofu, you could try a 12oz pack. But you might not need any plant-based milk, so be sure to add that gradually, if it even needs it. Happy experimenting. Let us know how it goes it you decide to try it!
Silken tofu: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-menus-collections/recipes-using-silken-tofu/
I think it looks delicious
Can you fry the mushrooms in a pan also … it looks really good I love Portabella mushrooms
Hi Debra,
If you’re making it on the stovetop, it would be best to use a grill pan, since we don’t recommend using oil. You could try using a skillet, adding a tablespoon or two of water as necessary to prevent sticking—but the beauty of a grill pan is that you’ll get the nice grill marks and you won’t have as much of the mushroom directly touching the pan, so you’ll have less sticking, too. If you try it, please let us know how it goes. Thank you!
Warmly,
Courtney Davison
Editor, Forks Over Knives
Very delicious ~ the sauce is spectacular, and all the ingredients come together nicely. Easy to make. Reminded me of foodie restaurant-quality. The only problem I had is that the ingredients slip around and eventually become a knife and fork dish. Otherwise, highly recommend.
Do these freeze well?
These are SO good! I made these 3 times in 2 weeks. You don’t see enough recipes with tarragon so that was nice. I ate them without a bun and they were perfect.
Outstanding! I used 2 tsp dried tarragon in place of fresh.
Wow. That was so good. I added slice onion and avocado. I used basil and fennel because I didn’t have tarragon. Yum!
These are so good I made more the next night. Ate them without a bun and they were delicious!
Made this for dinner today. It was Fantastic!
Can you do the mushroom in a skillet or in the oven?
Yes, you could. I’ve done this with teriyaki soaked portobello.
do you clean gills out of mushrooms?
Wonderful recipe
Made this last night for dinner and the tarragon sauce was heavenly!! Complimented the portobello and tomato perfectly! I put the mushroom top on half of Dave’s Bread multi grain bun and cut with knife & fork. Seems impossible to grill the mushroom tops for 15 mins but it was needed (on medium heat). Nice, tasty recipe!
Delicious. My non-vegan spouse loved it, too.
This recipe is amazing. You will not be disappointed.
Delicious!