Veal Burger with Roasted Vegetable Buns
Grilled veal patty layered with caramelized onions, roasted eggplant, zucchini, and gorgonzola cheese, sandwiched between thick-cut roasted squash slices instead of bread. Served with homemade tomato-date ketchup and roasted potato and sweet potato wedges.
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz veal ground, 100 percentbeef1:1lean beef
similar texture and sear quality
- 2 slices squash, thick-cutportobello mushroom caps2 capsumami
meat-like texture for bread replacement
- ¼ eggplant
- ¼ zucchini
- ½ purple onion
- gorgonzola cheese
- fresh spinach or microgreens
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- potatoes, roasted as wedges
- sweet potato, roasted as wedges
- 2 tomatoes, ripe pear variety
- 1 tablespoon date pastehoney0.75:1sweetener
less complex sweetness
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- lemon juice, a few drops
Instructions
- 1
Wash and thinly slice eggplant, zucchini, and purple onion
- 2
Cut two thick slices from squash and cut potatoes and sweet potato into wedges
- 3
Drizzle vegetables with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper
- 4
Roast all vegetables and potatoes on parchment paper at 400°F with heat from above and below for 30 minutes until soft and golden
- 5
Blend two ripe tomatoes and place in a pot over medium heat with date paste, soy sauce, salt, and lemon juice
- 6
Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, then set aside
- 7
Season veal with salt and pepper a few minutes before vegetables finish roasting
- 8
Sear veal in a hot pan, cooking briefly on each side
- 9
Layer burger starting with fresh spinach, roasted eggplant, zucchini, and caramelized onion, veal patty, gorgonzola, more caramelized onion, and roasted squash slice on top
- 10
Serve with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes and homemade ketchup
Tips
Cook veal briefly to maintain tenderness; do not overcook to avoid dry meat
Caramelize onions separately on stovetop for deeper flavor, or allow them to brown naturally during roasting
Good to Know
Homemade ketchup keeps 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Roasted vegetables best eaten same day but can be reheated.
Roast vegetables and make ketchup up to 1 day ahead. Form and refrigerate veal patty up to 4 hours before cooking.
Serve warm with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes on the side. Ketchup on the table for individual preference.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the brief sear of veal to avoid a pale, steamed patty
Do not roast vegetables longer than 30 minutes to avoid them becoming mushy
Substitutions
Gluten-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
meat-like texture for bread replacement