There are endless combinations of vegetables that taste good: from beans to carrots to peppers and more. For this week I decided to make veggie burgers because they are a great combination of all of my favorite veggies and super healthy, too.

Kidney beans are this recipe’s main ingredient, giving the burgers texture and a lot of health benefits. The protein-rich beans boost your energy, help to increase bone strength, and aid brain function. They even help prevent cancer because they have an antioxidant defense, manganese.

Mushrooms, a type of fungus, are another great addition to this recipe, providing some nutrients that no other fruits or vegetables have. Mushrooms are a source of Vitamin D, which helps the body absorb nutrients. They also boost your immune system and your metabolism, and they help to prevent bladder cancer.

Using English muffins instead of hamburger buns is a healthy substitution here. To boost the nutrition of this dish even more, I chose whole-wheat English muffins. You can barely tell the difference in taste, but there are nutritional benefits. Hamburger buns are made out of white flour, which has no extra nutrition in it, compared to whole-wheat English muffins, which have added fiber. Also, since English muffins are typically smaller than hamburger buns, you will have a lower amount of carbs and you can have more burger.

When you make this recipe, pay attention to the details of the directions: Don’t add all of one ingredient at once – spread out the distribution throughout the cooking time. It takes a little bit of time to cut and slice all of the ingredients, but it is well worth it because the end result tastes great! With all of the cutting, mixing, and cooking, the recipe took about 45 minutes, and the 4 burgers were delicious, refreshing, and healthy. Enjoy!

Veggie Burgers with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 small red onion, shredded and squeezed dry (about 1/2 cup)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 cup plain or whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons Worcestershire or soy sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced

4 English muffins, split and toasted

Mayonnaise and/or mustard, for garnish

Arugula, for garnish

Directions:

Smash the beans in a bowl with a potato masher or fork until slightly chunky. Add the onion, walnuts, carrot, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined.

Spread the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate. Form the bean mixture into 4 patties and lightly coat them with the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and slightly crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the burgers to a plate.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the remaining 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve the burgers on the English muffins with mayonnaise and/or mustard, baby greens and mushrooms.