Jamie Oliver's mega veggie burgers

TOTAL TIME

45 min

Serves

Photo, Jamie Oliver.

"Tofu is a brilliant carrier of flavors, plus it’s high in protein, low in saturated fat, and a great source of calcium and phosphorus, both of which make for strong and healthy bones." -JO

Ingredients

12 oz firm sillken tofu
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
2 heaping teaspoons Marmite
8 ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 sprigs of fresh basil
4 soft whole-grain buns
14 oz mixed seasonal salad veg, such as English cucumber , red cabbage, apples, cress, baby spinach
1/2 x Creamy Basil Dressing , (recipe below)
olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 3/4 oz Cheddar cheese
1 3/4 oz gherkins

Instructions

Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel, then squeeze and wring it out to remove the excess liquid (about 4 tablespoons should come out—it’s messy, but really important to do this for great burger texture later). Place the tofu in a bowl, scraping it off the kitchen towel. Crack in the egg, then add the bread crumbs and Marmite. Mix and scrunch together really well with clean hands, then shape into 4 even-sized patties that’ll fit nicely in your buns once cooked.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a dry non-stick frying pan on a high heat with a pinch of black pepper, a splash of water, and the vinegar. Squash the tomatoes with a potato masher, cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thick and delicious, then tear in half the basil leaves and season to perfection (I sometimes add a pinch of dried red chili flakes too, for a kick). If you want to plump up your buns, pop them into a warm oven for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, finely slice or prep all the salad veg, and make the creamy basil dressing. Place 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Pick the rosemary leaves into the pan in four piles, place the patties on top, and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Slice or grate the cheese, place on the patties, reduce the heat to low, then cover and leave to melt for 3 to 4 minutes. Spread the tomato sauce onto the buns, then sandwich the cheesy burgers and sliced gherkins inside. Toss the salad with the dressing, serve alongside the burgers, and enjoy—totally awesome.

All-star Chef Egg Timer Quiz: Jamie Oliver

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Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
424,
Protein
24.9 g,
Carbohydrates
44.8 g,
Fat
4.6 g,
Fibre
9.3 g,

Creamy Basil Dressing
Good for 3 salad portions. Simply blitz 4 tablespoons of plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh basil, ¼ of a fresh red chile, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper until super-smooth.