I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty fussy when it comes to veggie burgers. I’ve had too many disappointing restaurant experiences, and my biggest gripe is the texture. A veggie burger has got to hold itself together: it can’t be a mushy mess, and it should have a good bite to it. Flavour is also important, of course, and the look is a bonus.
These burgers pretty much tick all those boxes. It’s somewhat inspired by the Oh She Glows recipe which I made a few times some years ago, but I’ve since made my own variation using ingredients I like having on hand. I especially love the pink variation using beautiful beetroot!
It’s a little more effort than other recipes might be, as you need to prep a few ingredients separately, but it’s worth it. Make a bunch and freeze them, to defrost and grill anytime over the next 2-3 months.
If you’re like me, you’ll want all the things. A good burger is not fast food with air bread and cheapo toppings. A good burger is a beautiful mess, with a whole-grain bread bun, and fresh, high-quality toppings. Think baby spinach, ripe red tomato, Dijon mustard, caramelised onions, vegan mayo, avocado, pickled cucumbers… So many mouthwatering toppings that it spills down your hands when you take a bite!
Hungry now?
P.S. If you want even more ways to eat beans, check out this post. Beans (and other legumes) are a super important source of protein on a vegan diet and fibre on any diet. We should all be sneaking more beans into our daily diets!
Black Bean Beet Burgers
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ground flax seed
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 can black beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ large red onion (chopped)
- 1 cup beetroot (finely grated)
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- ½ cup sunflower seeds (toasted)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
- ⅓ cup oats (pulsed)
- ½ cup almond flour (or bread crumbs)
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- pepper (to taste
- extra oatmeal (as needed)
Directions
- Whisk the ground flax in the warm water and let it sit to thicken up.
- Place the sunflower seeds in a pan (no oil!) and toast until lightly browned.
- Grate the beetroot and chop the parsley.
- Place the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher, about half-mashed.
- In a pan, add the oil and saute the onion until soft. Add them to the beans.
- Add the flax, grated beetroot, parsley, toasted sunflower seeds, soy sauce, cumin, oregano and paprika, and mix well.
- Pulse the oats in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl along with the almond flour, salt and pepper.
- Mix well, and shape the dough into patties (if they’re too wet, add a little extra oats until they hold nicely).
- To freeze: place the patties between sheets of wax paper (or baking paper) and then inside ziplock freezer bags. Remove excess air and make sure they’re properly zipped shut, then freeze for up to 2 months.
- To cook: first defrost the patties (or use freshly-made), and fry in a little bit of oil over medium-high heat, for 3-4 minutes each side. Serve immediately, with burger buns and nice toppings (e.g. baby spinach, tomato and cucumber slices, mustard, caramelised onions, avocado).