ROZ PURCELL

Cashew, Bean & Oat Burgers

Making a veggie burger in 30 minutes is harder than you might think, but I was up for the challenge. I spent a lot of time tweaking this recipe, but my sister told me that it’s the best vegan burger she’s ever had, and she’s my toughest critic.

1 x 400g tin of mixed beans, drained and rinsed 100g raw cashews 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground turmeric 6 tbsp porridge oats 4 burger buns, to serve 1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and mashed, to serve Shredded lettuce, to serve Hummus, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Put the beans in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cashews, pesto, tamari and spices and blend again until almost smooth, with small traces of cashews still visible to add some crunch.

2. Tip into a large bowl and stir in the oats until well combined. Divide into four portions and roll into balls. Place on the lined tray and press down to form each one into a patty 1.5cm thick. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the burgers are crispy around the edges. Remove from the oven, flip each burger over and return to the oven to bake for 5 minutes more.

3. Spread the top half of each burger bun with mashed avocado. Put a little shredded lettuce on the bottom half of each bun, then top with a spoonful of hummus (I like beetroot hummus here) and a burger. Sandwich together with the top half of the bun and skewer with a cocktail