NST kitchen · dinner
Smoky mushroom and black-bean burgers
A mushroom-and-bean patty with smoked paprika, tucked into a bun with lettuce, tomato and mustard mayo.
- vegan
- Prep (est.)
- 20 min
- Cook (est.)
- 45 min
- Total (est.)
- 85 min
- Base servings
- 4
Total includes 20 minutes waiting time.
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Ingredients
One fixed batch makes 4 servings. Keep the listed quantities, pan and method unchanged. For more, repeat the full batch; for fewer, follow the recipe's storage guidance for unused portions.
Ingredients for 4 servings.
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You will need
- Wide 28–30 cm frying pan, hob, heatproof turner and wooden spoon
- Mixing bowl, fork or potato masher, scales and measuring spoons
- Knife, board, clean plates, kitchen paper and refrigerator
- Equipment suitable for warming fully baked buns
Let's make it
The method
0 of 6 steps marked
Keep your place for this page visit. Ticks do not confirm doneness or food safety; follow every cooking and storage instruction.
Step 1. Dry and cook the vegetables
Pat rinsed beans dry. Heat 10 ml of the oil in the pan over medium heat, add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until soft and their released liquid has evaporated. Stir in garlic and paprika for the final minute.
Step 2. Mix the patties
Mash the beans in the bowl until mostly broken down with some pieces remaining. Add cooked vegetables, breadcrumbs, tomato purée and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly with a spoon and let the mixture cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. It should hold when gently pressed; do not add water to make it looser.
Step 3. Shape and chill
Divide into four equal portions and shape into patties about 12 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Arrange on a clean plate, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes while preparing toppings. This short chill helps handling, not preservation for an unspecified later date.
Step 4. Prepare the buns and sauce
Mix mayonnaise with mustard. Prepare tomato and lettuce and keep chilled. Warm the fully baked buns according to their packet directions near the end of cooking the patties.
Step 5. Pan-fry carefully
Wipe the pan clean of any loose burnt bits. Divide the remaining 15 ml oil between two frying batches over medium heat. Cook two patties at a time for about 6–7 minutes per side, turning gently once they have formed a crust. They must be steaming hot through the centre, not merely browned outside; lower heat and continue if needed. Transfer finished patties to clean plates and assemble those burgers while the second batch cooks, keeping the pan attended.
Step 6. Build and eat
Spread mustard mayonnaise on the buns, add lettuce, one hot patty and tomato to each, and close. Serve promptly. Keep any planned leftover patties separate from raw salad and sauce rather than storing assembled burgers.
Make it work for you
Swaps & variations
- Use canned kidney beans in the same drained weight; they must be canned and ready cooked, not raw dried beans.
- Ordinary mayonnaise can replace vegan mayonnaise for a non-vegan version and usually adds egg. Recheck all bun and breadcrumb labels.
Recipe notes & sources
Sources support the points stated below; they are not evidence that NST has cooked or tested this recipe.
- FSA cooking guidance
Cooking endpoints, clean temperature probes and once-only reheating; not validation of these recipes, estimated times or flavours.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA chilling and defrosting guidance
Prompt cooling, chilled leftovers and label-led storage; no shelf-life experiment has been conducted by NST.
Checked 2026-10-23 - FSA allergen advice for consumers
Ingredient and precautionary-label checks, including the distinction between vegan and allergen-free; no product certified.
Checked 2026-10-23
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