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Umami Bomb Burger

Umami Bomb Burger

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve absolutely LOVED burgers. I’ve just never been a big hot dog person; I’ll choose a burger over a hot dog every single time. As a self-appointed Burger Guy, I’ve found there are two toppings I love most on a burger: guacamole OR onions, preferably of the caramelized variety. I also absolutely love mushrooms, and wanted to find a way to incorporate them in a burger, too, and thus, the idea for the Umami Bomb Burger was born!

The onions get caramelized with whole grain mustard and balsamic vinegar until they’re sweet-yet-savory, jammy perfection. The mushrooms are sautéed to draw out even more umami flavor, and the addition of blue cheese takes the umami in this burger to true bomb level. I added a creamy mustard spread on top, which adds some welcome tang and acid after all of those intensely savory flavors. Fair warning: this is NOT a kid’s menu burger. It’s a sophisticated, flavor-packed, savory, umami experience you won’t forget!


1. Umami

Umami is the 5th flavor that people can taste that you’ve probably never heard of! You may be more familiar with the first 4: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami is hard to describe, but it’s best to think of it as very, very savory.


2. Onions can become JAM?

Despite what onions taste like when they’re raw, they actually have a very high natural sugar content. If they’re cooked over low heat for a good amount of time, those sugars release, caramelize, and thicken, turning them into onion jam.

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3. For the bleu cheese haters…

Bleu cheese has tons of savory, umami flavor, so it was an easy choice for this burger. That said, I understand that it’s a polarizing flavor as far as the cheeses go, so know that this burger will also be delicious with almost any other cheese (goat, gouda, or swiss would be great!), or even no cheese at all.