Vegan Sliders with Portobello Steak and Chimichurri
This recipe was my secret weapon at the last barbecue party. And it'd be a total hit at any picnic, brunch, or birthday party too, because you're bringing the cutest, most delicious mini burgers that still hold together as one piece, so everyone can tear off their own burger. And just wait for those amazed, wide eyes when you reveal that you made everything from scratch. How it works (and also how you can shortcut the whole process if you don't have that much time), I'll spill the beans right here, right now.
The Homemade Burger Buns:
These fluffy buns are baked together as one piece and only separated when serving – inspired by an American slider concept. Basically, they're just soft buns made from yeast dough that you let rise multiple times, so they sit close together in the baking pan and then merge during baking at the latest. Instead of topping them with sesame seeds, you could also use poppy seeds, black cumin, or flax seeds. Of course, you can use the same dough for four or five regular large burger buns too, but I just love the portion size of the mini version so much better – especially when bringing them to barbecue parties and such.
The shortcut if you've got less time: You're absolutely allowed to use store-bought buns too.
The Portobello Steaks:
Portobello mushrooms are nothing more than giant button mushrooms with a meaty texture and hearty flavor. You can find them in pretty much any well-stocked supermarket or organic store nowadays, especially around grilling season. The marinade makes them really flavorful and juicy – especially if you give them some time to marinate. If you can't find portobello mushrooms, you can also use large button mushrooms, vegan (soy) steaks, or tofu slices.
The shortcut if you've got less time: I've tested this recipe without any marinating time at all and yeah, that works too. If you're putting time into the homemade buns and want to save here, you could also use ready-made vegan steaks or even fried vegan ground meat as a topping.
Chimichurri:
Chimichurri is an Argentine herb sauce with loads of parsley, but also garlic, onions and spices, oil and vinegar. The ingredients aren't complicated and you basically just need to chop everything finely or you can use a mortar. I love it because it brings such a fresh flavor – not just with burgers, but also with salads, on pasta, with potatoes, or veggie stir-fries. Better make a bigger batch right away – it keeps for several days in the fridge.
The Rest of the Toppings:
The portobello mushrooms are obviously the main characters on these burgers, chimichurri brings the freshness, so what's still missing? For one, I love onions on a burger and I didn't skimp here either – I braised them in the pan for quite a while until they were soft and almost sweet. To balance things out, I wanted some kind of creamy bite and added plant-based feta cheese – though vegan shredded or sliced cheese that melts in the oven would work here too.
The shortcut if you've got less time: I personally also love crispy raw onions that are sliced thin and mixed with a bit of salt and lime juice. It's obviously a matter of taste since they don't get as soft and sweet as when you sauté them, but it'd definitely save time at this point.
The Sauces:
Now let's get straight to the shortcut, because I didn't make the sauces myself – Byodo took care of that. They've put together a practical grilling sauce set – and you save almost 20% compared to buying individually. You'll find six vegan organic sauces in there: from classics like ketchup, aioli, and barbecue to specialties like curry-mango, a grill & burger sauce, and the new steak & pepper sauce. Like all Byodo products, they're made from 100% organic ingredients from agricultural cultivation. For the burger base, I went with a vegan aioli first – you really can't go wrong with that. But fitting with the portobello mushrooms, I was especially curious about the new steak and pepper sauce and it's truly wonderfully creamy, flavorful, and naturally peppery. You can find the sauce set in the Byodo online shop.
Vegan Sliders with Portobello Steak and Chimichurri
Ingredients
For the portobello steaks:
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- 3 tbsp (45 ml/0.2 cup) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml/0.13 cup) dark balsamic vinegar (e.g. from Byodo)
- 75 g (2.75 oz) tomato paste
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs (e.g., thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
- salt
- pepper
- hot water
For the burger buns:
- 150 ml (0.66 cup) lukewarm water
- 5 g (0.25 oz) active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 150 ml (0.66 cup) lukewarm plant-based milk
- 450 g (3.75 cups) wheat flour (type 550)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (0.5 oz) vegan butter (soft or margarine)
- plant-based milk for brushing
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
For the chimichurri:
- 50 g (1.75 oz) fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 shallot
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 75 ml (0.33 cup) olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 0.5 tsp chili flakes
- salt
- pepper
Additionally:
Instructions
- First, prepare the mushrooms. Clean the portobello mushrooms and cut off the stems, but keep them. For the marinade, mix all ingredients in a bowl: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, mustard, soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, paprika, onion and garlic powder, and the herbs, salt and pepper. Mix with some hot water until the marinade is thick. Place the mushrooms (including the stems) in a larger dish and pour the marinade over them, rubbing it in thoroughly everywhere. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but 2–3 hours or overnight is better.
Tip: You can do this step the day before too. And yes, if you don't have any time at all, skip the marinating step.
- For the buns, first mix lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast and let stand for approximately 3–4 minutes until bubbles form on the surface. Then add lukewarm plant-based milk, flour, salt, and soft vegan butter and knead until a smooth ball of dough forms. Then cover and let rest overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for approximately 1–2 hours until the dough volume has doubled.
Tip: You can do this step the day before too.
Meanwhile, prepare the chimichurri: finely chop parsley, garlic, onion, and dried herbs. If you have one, put all ingredients in a mortar and blend them through again. Alternatively, chop everything really finely by hand. Mix in a bowl with olive oil and vinegar and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste.
Peel the onions, halve them, and cut into thin slices. Sauté in vegetable oil over low heat until golden brown. Season with salt.
After resting, take the dough out of the bowl, weigh it once, divide the amount by 15 (for 15 small buns), and weigh out this gram amount each time. Shape each dough portion into a round and place in a greased and floured pan. Let rest again for 30 minutes.
Tip: If you're worried that the buns might stick in your pan, you can also line it with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F (convection heat). Place the marinated mushrooms in an oven-safe dish – it should ideally fit next to your baking pan with the buns so both can go in the oven at the same time. Brush the buns with plant-based milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake together with the mushrooms for approx. 20–25 minutes. Then let both cool slightly.
Cut the baked mushrooms into strips. Remove the buns as a whole from the pan and carefully cut in half so that all buns still hold together. Set the top half aside. Place the bottom bun half back in the baking pan and brush with vegan aioli. Top with the mushroom slices, vegan pepper and steak sauce, the sautéed onions, crumbled plant-based feta, and chimichurri.
Put the casserole dish back in the oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes at 180°C/355°F (convection heat). Then remove, also brush the top bun side with aioli and place on top.
