nutritional information

Per Burger:

  • Calories: 175
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Total Fat: 2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 32 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 289 mg
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
Vegan

Chicago Diner Burgers

Chicago Diner Burgers

Serves 8

Vegetarians in the Windy City flock to the Chicago Diner for burgers that have a truly meaty taste. We added a step—baking them in the oven—and grilled them on foil so they would get a smoky taste without sticking to the grill. Serve with Red Pepper Aioli.  
  • 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 12 oz. mushrooms, finely chopped
  • ½ cup whole-wheat flour
  1. 1. Bring 4 cups water, celery, onion, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to a boil in pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in oats, mushrooms, and flour, and cook 5 minutes more. Transfer to bowl, and chill.
  2. 2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape mixture into 8 patties, and bake on prepared baking sheet 15 minutes. Flip, and bake 10 minutes more. Cool.
  3. 3. Heat grill to medium-high. Place foil on grill, and coat with cooking spray. Grill burgers on foil 7 minutes per side.
July/August 2007 p.69

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comments

I actually loved these. Granted, I've never had the Chicago Diner's version, but they were super tasty. They were very sticky and a bit softer on the inside than I typically desire, so they require a lot of patience to flip,but I have a two-spatula method that works well. I opted to Broil mine for about six min per side rather than grill and enjoyed every last one of them. I got a solid dozen out of the recipe. I think next time tho I will try using cauliflower for half of the celery just to suit my personal tastes.

Bryann Ramachandra - 2013-02-07 17:41:12

This recipe is a disgrace to the Chicago Diner, and the "burgers" are appallingly bad - they taste like celery-infused oatmeal. In what world is slimy the equivalent of meaty? VT, you should remove this recipe before someone else wastes her time on it.

Kelly - 2012-10-02 00:53:50

Has anyone tried these with a gluten-free flour like chickpea flour?

Diane in S. Calif - 2012-02-07 20:49:30

a real let down, I've eaten at The Chicago Diner many times and their food great, but this lacked so much taste. Wish I'd read the comments before commiting to making these.

AB - 2012-01-22 21:57:54

Can I freeze this burgers?

George - 2011-09-19 20:21:06

This makes a HUGE amount of burger dough. I'd say I made more like EIGHTEEN burgers, not eight.

Megan - 2011-03-30 13:23:27

These are very moist, and they look meaty. I would make them again. They are, also, very flexible. I added several other ingredients.

Jewels - 2010-09-27 19:40:19

I used mushroom broth instead of water during the first step and found that the flavour was much more "mushroomy" and enjoyable.

Mers - 2010-02-22 12:12:22

I agree with the other commenters. This recipe made a ton of burgers and they didn't hold together well. They tasted alright, especially on a good bun with lettuce, onion, tomato, and bbq sauce but I won't be making them again.

Angela - 2012-02-20 17:10:35

I agree. This makes a ton of burgers. I was not impressed with this recipe. I followed it to a T and the burgers did not hold together well. They do have a meaty texture, they're more like sloppy joes.

SJ CORY - 2011-09-28 22:52:57