This veggie burger bowl with sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms is an easy, healthy weeknight meal that comes together in no time. Grab a veggie burger out of the freezer, saute some fresh veggies, then bring it all together under a blanket of melted cheese. Skip the bun and nestle your burger on a bowl of balsamic dressed greens crowned with avocado. It’s perfect fast food!
Veggie Burger Bowl with Sauteed Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms
Hi. My name is Kristine, and I like veggie burgers. There I said it! Huge weight lifted off my chest. Veggie burgers definitely get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. I think the mistake people make is comparing a veggie burger to a regular burger. The veggie burger will always lose in a side by side challenge. The only thing they really have in common is that they’re both round. In my mind, a beef burger and a veggie burger each have their place. If I want the burger to be the focus of the meal (say in a delicious loco moco breakfast bowl) then I’ll go for the real thing. But if I’m feeling like a lighter meal where the burger is the costar, I’ll break out the veggie burgers!
This veggie burger bowl with sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms also falls in line with my 2019 intentions of making healthy choices (eat more veggies!). Maybe you’ve made similar intentions, or maybe you haven’t had a veggie burger before. If so, this is the perfect recipe to try them out. This meal is all about the sauteed veggies, balsamic dressed greens and avocado, the burger is just the vehicle carrying all that goodness. So why not choose a lower fat, lower calorie, fast and easy burger option?
Burger Bowl Ingredients
I try to always have burgers in the freezer. Frozen veggie burgers are perfect for fast meals because you can take them right out of the box and into the frying pan. No thawing necessary! You also don’t have to worry about under or overcooking your burger because it’s already fully cooked, you’re just browning it and heating it through. And there are so many varieties of veggie burgers these days, there’s sure to be one that will appeal to your taste buds.
The real stars of this dish are the caramelized, sautéed veggies. And slicing the veggies (mushrooms, peppers and onions) is really the only prep work there is for the dish. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to get cooking!
For this burger, we’re skipping the bun and putting everything on a salad bowl. The bowl ingredients are pretty simple, just lettuce/arugula, avocado and dressing. I’m slightly obsessed with balsamic, so that’s my choice for the bowl, but you could use pretty much any dressing you like here. If you’re joining the balsamic club, a vinaigrette or glaze is perfect on the greens and really compliments the sauteed veggies. Whether you use store bought (I like Newman’s Own Light Balsamic), or make your own, you’re going to like the tangy zip it gives to your veggie burger bowl. The balsamic glaze from Trader Joe’s is great too. (P.S. – you can use the leftover balsamic glaze on a delicious heirloom tomato salad!)
Saute Your Veggies
Tender, caramelized peppers, onions and mushrooms, that’s the key to this dish! The mushrooms will take the longest to release their liquid and get nice and golden brown, so you’ll want to get them started first. Because of this, I like to slice the mushrooms, get them into a sauté pan with a little olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and then start slicing the onion and peppers. Basically I do everything I can to eat as quickly as possible.
When you’re slicing your onions and peppers try to get them all the same size so they’ll cook evenly. Once the mushrooms are ready, you’ll remove them from the pan and set them aside (try not to eat them!). Now you’ll add a little more olive oil if necessary, then toss the onions and peppers in. Again you’ll sprinkle them with a little kosher salt. It’s important to season your veggies to bring out their amazing flavors. You know when you watch cooking shows and the judges say “it needs more seasoning”? That means the cook didn’t add enough salt. It can make or break a dish! Once the peppers and onions are softened and have browned edges, you’ll remove them from the pan and set aside with the mushrooms.
Now things are going to come together quickly! Add the frozen veggie burger to the saute pan with 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan. Reduce the heat, wait a few minutes and flip the burger. After a few more minutes the water will have evaporated and the burger should be browned and heated through. While the burger is cooking, you can get your salad ready. I used spring greens and arugula, but obviously you can use whatever lettuce you have on hand. Put your lettuce in your bowl and toss with the balsamic vinaigrette or glaze.
Assembling your Bowl
When your burger is ready, top it with your sauteed veggies and the slice of cheese. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and watch that cheese become a delicious blanket over all that veggie goodness. The cheese will also hold everything together and make it easier to move onto your salad.
Either slide everything out onto the salad directly from the pan, or use a large spatula. As the crowning touch, you’ll add sliced or diced avocado to the bowl. As we all know, avocado makes everything better, including this veggie burger bowl with peppers, onions and mushrooms!
The perfect bite!
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Veggie Burger Bowl with Sauteed Peppers Onions and Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 bowl 1x
Description
This easy, healthy weeknight meal comes together in no time. Grab a veggie burger out of the freezer, saute some fresh veggies, then bring it all together under a blanket of melted cheese. Skip the bun and nestle your burger on a bowl of balsamic dressed greens crowned with avocado. It’s perfect fast food!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)
- 1/2 of a bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 1 veggie burger of your choice
- 3 cups lettuce/arugula of your choice
- 1 slice of cheese (I used havarti)
- 1/2 of a ripe avocado, sliced
- 1 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette or glaze
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 of the oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with kosher salt, and saute until they’ve released their liquid and are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the saute pan. Add the peppers and onions to the pan, sprinkle with kosher salt. Saute until they are softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the mushrooms.
- Add the veggie burger to the pan. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, reduce heat to medium and cover. After a few minutes, flip the burger and cover again.
- Once the burger is browned and heated through, remove the cover. Add the mushrooms, peppers and onions on top of the burger. Lay the cheese on top of the veggies. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and wait for the cheese to melt into a delicious blanket over the burger and veggies.
- Add the lettuce/arugula to your bowl. Toss with the balsamic vinaigrette or glaze. Top the lettuce with your veggie burger. Add the avocado to the bowl. Dig in!
Notes
- Any type of burger can be used! It will affect the nutritional values, but not the deliciousness.
- Mix it up with different kinds of cheese, dressings and lettuce.
Keywords: veggie burger, veggie bowl, healthy meals, sauteed mushrooms, dinner ideas
