Most vegetarian burgers are loaded with chemicals and soy protein. I don’t want to eat that or serve it to my family. So I started searching for the best tasting veggie burger I could make.
I tried a rice and quinoa based pattie, but that was too bland and the texture wasn’t right. I even tried a recipe with sweet potato and mushroom. That fell flat too.
Combining black bean with quinoa and sauteed veggies did the trick. These are loaded with REAL food and no soy. They are also absolutely delicious (family approved, including a picky eater) and have texture just like a burger.
Plan on about 30 minutes to prep and 45 min to cook. This recipe yields about 7-8 good sized patties. Be smart…do what I do. Since I am already making a mess, why not double the recipe and freeze some for later?
The following is derived from a recipe I found on EmileEats.com. Adjustments were made while testing this recipe in my own kitchen.
What You Will Need:
- 2 eggs (you can use an egg substitute like flax if you want a vegan option)
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup yellow or red onion, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper finely diced (use any color you like, I prefer red)
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced (optional if you do not like spicy)
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed until very dry
- 1 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained (1 can)
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup oat flour (this is just rolled oats pulverized in a food processor; use gluten free oats for a gluten free option)
- Coconut or grapeseed oil for cooking
Now Let’s Cook!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine strainer. Don’t skip this! I know it sounds fussy, but it is necessary. Washing the quinoa removes the bitter saponins on the outside of the seed and will produce a tastier burger.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan. Add drained quinoa and stir frequently until lightly toasted, maybe 2 to 3 minutes. You don’t want to skip this! Toasting lends depth to the final flavor profile.
- Add 1 cup filtered water and bring to boiling. Cover and put on simmer until quinoa is cooked approx 12 to 15 minutes.
- While the quinoa cooks, heat some oil in a frying pan and saute the veggies (onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno) for a few minutes to caramelize them. This step adds an additional layer of flavor and releases the sweetness in the onion, so take the time to do it. In the words of Anne Burrell (Food Network chef par excellence), “Brown food is good!” Add the drained spinach. Take off heat.
- Put the beans into a large mixing bowl and mash. Add cooked quinoa, the veggie mixture and all the spices (salt, paprika, cumin, pepper). Add eggs and oat flour to the mixture and mix well.
- Form patties in the size you desire. I use a 3½” or 4½” plastic cap lined with saran wrap to easily form uniform patties. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 25 minutes, flip and bake another 20 minutes.
- Enjoy now or cool, wrap and freeze. These reheat well and make a great “convenience” food. Serve as you would any other burger with your favorite toppings.