Buzz
Photographer: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez HartThis grilled portobello burger recipe is packed with vibrant, bold flavors. A simple marinade of Italian herbs, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and plenty of fresh garlic infuses the mushrooms with robust taste. Allow the portobello caps to marinate for 15 minutes while preparing a zesty romesco sauce made with almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted red bell peppers. Panela cheese, a mild cheese from Mexico, melts perfectly on the grill and is added to the burgers along with a generous dollop of creamy labneh. A note: Do not remove the gills from the portobello caps. These gills help keep the mushrooms intact while grilling, ensuring the burgers have plenty of structure and substance.
Substitutions: If panela cheese is unavailable, paneer is a great alternative. You could also opt for fresh mozzarella and skip the grilling step. Labneh, a rich, thick yogurt from the Middle East, can be replaced with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
Ingredients list for the recipe includes a variety of components such as dried Italian seasoning, sherry vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, portobello mushrooms, roasted almonds, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, kosher salt, neutral oil like canola, panela or paneer cheese, labneh or sour cream, burger buns, and baby arugula.
- Directions for preparing the dish involve mixing Italian seasoning, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic in a zip-top bag before adding portobello caps and letting them marinate. Afterward, blend almonds, tomatoes, bell peppers, and seasonings in a food processor until smooth. Preheat the grill, oil the grates, and grill the portobellos and cheese. Lastly, assemble the burgers with labneh on the buns, a layer of almond mixture, cheese, portobellos, and arugula, topped with the other bun half.
