French Onion Veggie Burger

This French Onion Veggie Burger is a veggie version of the delicious Avalon Burger from Ted’s Montana Grill. It’s all about the condiments!

Our challenge this month for Progressive Eats is to make a ‘copycat’ version of a restaurant dish. I followed that guideline but went a step further and took the delicious Avalon Burger I had enjoyed at Ted’s Montana Grill and turned it into something lighter and leaner, this French Onion Veggie Burger.

To be clear I am calling this a Veggie burger but it’s not strictly vegetarian, although that would be easy enough to achieve. I added some bacon to the Caramelized Onions; you can skip those if  you want to eliminate all meat and use a vegetarian cheese to replace the Gruyere if strict enough to avoid rennet.

I only recently made my first veggie burger, this Greek Veggie Burger; it was so good that I’m now determined to craft a couple of delicious versions to keep stocked in my freezer and share with friends.

I’m not turning to a vegetarian diet, but I am limiting most red meat and pork from my diet but I’m not steadfast either. If the spirit moves me, and a burger at Ted’s might do it, I’ll have a burger or my favorite Ribeye Steak. I’m reminded of my friend Susan, The Wimpy Vegetarian. She is not so strict that she won’t veer; yeah, that’s my goal too.

The only real change is that I eliminated some of the spices and sun-dried tomatoes from that version and added caramelized onions instead. It was enough to give it a different flavor profile and then the good stuff came on top.

Because the Greek burger turned out so nicely, I stuck to pretty much the same base for this one, only changing up some seasoning. The ingredients include the following; a somewhat long list but also pretty much pantry staples…except maybe my favorite Tri-Color Beans. Seriously get them (but if not, use what you have!).

What you’ll need:

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 15-oz can tri-color beans, rinsed and drained (or use your choice of beans)
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1/4 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (to cover before frying)
• Olive or Safflower Oil for frying
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

I melted Gruyere cheese on top and smeared it with my homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli before topping it with my Caramelized Onions in the Instant Pot. If you don’t have an instant pot, no worries, but you will need additional time to get the onions caramelized in a pot on the stove-top so plan ahead for that.

Altogether it is such a great burger you might forget it’s veggie too or even enjoy it more simply because it is!

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is Copycat Recipes, and our host is Karen who blogs at Karen’s Kitchen Stories

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. A theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. Come along and see all of the delicious copycat inspired dishes!

CopyCat Recipes

Beverage

• Seasons 52 Ginger Mint Agave Soda – Mother Would Know

Appetizer

• Copycat Auntie Anne’s Pretzels – The Redhead Baker

Bread

• Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks – Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Main Courses

• French Onion Veggie Burger – Everydayum.com (You’re Here!)
• Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Madeira – The Heritage Cook

Side Dish

• Original Chick-fil-A Cole Slaw – Shockingly Delicious

Desserts

• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies – Spiceroots
• Classic Crème Brûlée – That Skinny Chick Can Bake

PIN IT! ‘French Onion Veggie Burger’

French Onion Veggie Burger

Everydayum.com

A delicious twist on French Onion, these veggie patties have caramelized onions in them and on them!

5 from 50 or more votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Veggie Burgers

Cuisine American

Servings 4 -6 Burgers

Calories

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

See Notes for Links to Recipe for Garlic Aioli and Caramelized Onions

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion chopped
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 15- oz can tri-color beans rinsed and drained (or use your choice of beans)
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg whisked
• ¼ cup cooked rice
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ½ – 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal to cover before frying
• Olive or Safflower Oil for frying
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Instructions

 

• Heat 1 Tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a skillet; turn down to medium, and cook onion, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Add wine and continue cooking til absorbed. Add garlic and thyme, stirring, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool.
• Combine beans, Worcestershire Sauce, breadcrumbs, egg, rice, oatmeal, carrots, salt, and pepper in processor and processor til still slightly chunky.
• Add the onion mixture and mix with a spoon until well-combined. Form mixture into 6 patties (about 1/2 cup each). These are best if they are not super fat patties, thinner is better. Put cornmeal on a shallow plate, and coat burgers evenly.
• Heat a thin layer of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and cook burgers about 5 minutes or until golden brown on underside.
• Flip burgers, and top with cheese. Cook about 5 minutes more, partially covered, or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve burgers on arugula and top them with garlic aioli and caramelized onions.

Notes

Roasted Garlic Aioli

Caramelized Onions in the Instant Pot

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!