This is not a quick recipe. It requires careful planning and preparation. You will need to prepare the main ingredients at least a day ahead. The bread, the burger patties, and the vegetable chips are made with the help of dehydrator, so you will need to start the process at least one day ahead of your planned dinner or lunch.
For the bread, I tested a recipe from Russell, The Raw Chef. The bread turned out surprisingly good. It had an incredibly spongy, soft texture, and a slightly crispy crust. I changed a few things, but you can check the original recipe here.
For the patties I used fresh vegetables. If you have a juice pulp, you could use some as well, just make sure that you are using enough fresh vegetables to make the patties soft and juicy.
If you intend to use sprouted buckwheat grains, you will have to start the process about four day ahead of your intended burgher sandwich dinner. To sprout the seeds, soak them first for 15 minutes or so. Rinse well to remove any slimy residue the soaked seeds might have produced. Place the soaked seeds in a sprouting jar and let the seeds germinate for up to three days. Remember to rinse and drain the seeds twice a day.
Ingredients
for the bread
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 2 tsp raw, unpasteurized white miso paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup raw, not roasted buckwheat groats (soaked for 1 hour or optionally sprouted for 10 to 12 hours)
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 2 medium zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp powdered rosemary (optional)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fermented flax
- 1/4 cup psyllium husk
- 3/4 almond flour (ground almonds)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- pinch salt
- white sesame seeds
for the burger patties
- 2 large carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 hot pepper
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, re-hydrated
- 1 purple onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 virgin olive oil
- freshly pressed juice of 1 lemon
- dried herbs: oregano, thyme, marjoram
- Celtic salt to taste
- 1 tsp psyllium husk powder
for the sauce
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 small hot pepper
for the vegetable chips
- sliced beets
- sliced kohlrabi
- sliced parsnips
- sliced sweet potatoes
- apple cider vinegar
- Celtic salt
Method:
- Start the whole bread making process with fermentation of the flax seeds: blend the ground seeds, miso paste, salt and water into a smooth paste. Pour it into a jar, and let it ferment in a warm place for at least ten hours. You can put your jar on top of the dehydrator while you are dehydrating the burgers or the vegetable chips.
- In a blender combine buckwheat, zucchini, almond butter, olive oil, salt, garlic and onion powder, rosemary powder (if using,) maple syrup, raw apple cider vinegar, and fermented flax seeds, and blend until smooth. As a last step, add the psyllium husks powder. Blend again. Psyllium will bind the dough together. The longer you leave it in the mixture, the firmer your bread will turn out.
- In a large enough bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Add the wet bread dough mixture and mix well. You might have to use your clean hand to mix the rather sticky dough. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes. Thanks to the psyllium, the dough will firm up a bit and you will be able to form buns or a bread loaf. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Top your bread with white sesame seeds and place it in a dehydrator. Dehydrate the bread for 20 hours at 115°F (46-47°C.) Once the bread is ready, you can cut it into slices and dehydrate for another two hours to crisp them up a bit.
- To make the burger patties combine all the vegetable in a food processor. Pulse blend at first, and then, blend until almost smooth. Add all the herbs and spices, and blend a bit more. Add psyllium and allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes. Form the patties and place them on a dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate for at least 10 hours at 115°F (46-47°C.)
- Using a mandolin, slice the beets, parsnips, kohlrabi, and sweet potatoes. Place the slices in four different bowls. Add apple cider, olive oil and salt, and let them marinate for at least 15 minutes. Arrange the marinated slices in a single layer on dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate at 115°F (46.47°C) for 10 -12 hours, or until you are satisfied with the crispness.
- To make the sauce, blend almond butter with olive oil, vinegar, hot pepper, and salt until smooth. It should resemble a good mayonnaise. You may need to add more almond butter or more olive oil to achieve the right consistency. Tip: Use wasabi powder instead of the chili pepper for a quite dramatic result.
- To assemble your burger sandwiches place a slice of bread on a platter and cover it fully with the spicy sauce. Add lettuce, burger patty, sliced red onion, another patty. Cover with a slice of bread, sauce, and lettuce. Top it up with microgreens. Your burger sandwich is ready. Serve with vegetable chips and enjoy in good company!
Tip: To dehydrate your food, follow the suggestions of your dehydrator manufacturer. You might be surprised, but some manufacturers suggest to start the dehydrator process at much higher temperatures that what the raw food community set as a raw food standard. Dehydrating at 130°F at first will not destroy the enzymes, they claim, but it warms up the dehydrator and speeds up the process. I leave this up to you.
Oh, and one more thing... remember that you are working with natural ingredients. Some veggies are juicer than others, they vary in sizes and taste. Use your own judgment and personal preferences when fixing a raw food meal. My recipes are mere suggestions that may help you create your own delicious dishes. Be creative. Be flexible. Experiment. It's fun.
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon@2021