COOKING VIDEO: Portabella Mushroom Burger Recipe

June 24, 2011 at 7:05 am · Filed under Recipes, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs, Videos

Call it a portabella or a portobello: Just put this giant mushroom on the grill and enjoy it as a meaty burger. Even carnivores will love this vegetarian burger.

When you choose a vegetarian burger, you eliminate artery-clogging cholesterol (sure it tastes great, but it’s one of the unhealthiest things you can ingest).

You also help save the planet. The production of meat contributes to more greenhouse gas than anything else on earth, including gasoline emissions.

So even if a portabella burger weren’t so delicious, you earn angel points for switching between beef and portabella burgers. Consider it as a regular dish for Meatless Mondays.

There are a few tricks to making the perfect portabella burger, including removing the gills and marinating the mushrooms. You’ll see how easy it is in this video.

This portabella burger recipe is topped with a chopped tomato, feta and onion salad. If you have vegan guests, hold the feta. You can substitute chopped olives, raw corn stripped from the cob, or other vegan ingredients (nothing that’s animal-derived).

Instead of iceberg or romaine lettuce, we prefer piquant arugula on a portabella burger.

Go with good nutrition in your burger bun. Look for whole wheat buns, like Rudi’s and Udi’s Gluten Free. We also buy the private label* brand from Trader Joe’s.

*What’s a private label brand? It’s one that is made by a brand-name manufacturer—or a manufacturing company that makes nothing but private label products—and packaged under the name of the retailer. Kroger’s, Publix, Safeway, Trader Joe’s and other retail chains are not food manufacturing companies. They contract with manufacturers to place their name on the package.

What’s the difference between a portabella and a porcini? Learn your mushroom types in our Mushroom Glossary.