What’s in a perfect Veggie Burger??
Bottom line, making your own veggie burger is an art. I have tried many different variations. Some worked some didn’t. Then I found a great recipe…
I wish I could take credit for this recipe but sadly I can’t. What I can take credit for is finding it and passing it along to anyone interest in making there own Veggie Burgers. Thanks to the The Cookful Website they have a great article and they have the entire recipe. I have listed the ingredients and the how to below. The nice part is you can usually find everything you need in your kitchen on any average day to make some fantastic Veggie burgers on the fly….
Ingredients:
STANDARD INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
oil for cooking (e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil)
2 CUPS VEGETABLES, FINELY DICED OR CHOPPED (PICK 1-3)
sweet potatoes
beets (golden or red)
carrots
mushrooms
Dole spinach
kale
corn
squash
broccoli
cauliflower
artichokes
zucchini
bell peppers
1 CUP COOKED GRAINS (PICK 1)
millet
Natures Promise quinoa
bulgur
rice
buckwheat
1½ CUPS COOKED LEGUMES, LIQUID RESERVED (PICK 1-2)
canned beans (e.g. black, pinto, cannellini, kidney)
lentils (red or green)
Goya chickpeas
soybeans
mung beans
adzuki beans
black eyed peas
½ CUP FLAVOR/TEXTURE BUILDERS (PICK 2)
fresh herbs, finely chopped (e.g. cilantro, basil, dill, parsley, thyme, sage, chives)
scallions, thinly sliced
chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews)
chopped sundried tomatoes
chopped olives
flax seeds
chia seeds
sesame seeds
mashed avocado
unsweetened nut butter (e.g. peanut, almond, cashew)
Cedar’s Tahini
3 TEASPOONS SPICES (PICK 2-4)
cumin
chili powder
smoked paprika
cayenne powder
Perfect Pinch Italian seasoning
black pepper
fennel
oregano
curry powder
coriander
cinnamon
turmeric
citrus zest
½ CUP DRY BASE (PICK 1)
ground oats
cornmeal
bread crumbs
panko
Almond Meal
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until soft, 5-10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to a a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients except the reserved bean liquid and frying oil. Pulse 5-10 times to combine. Don’t overdo it; you don’t want a paste!
Press the mixture between your fingers. If you can form a patty with it, you’re good to go. If it’s too crumbly, add the reserved bean liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it sticks together. If the mixture is too wet, add more of the dry base ingredient, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Taste the mixture and add salt to your taste.
Form the mixture into 8 patties (about ⅓ cup of the mixture each) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate the patties uncovered for 30 minutes. (Don’t skip this step! Resting will help the patties stay together.)
When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook 3-4 patties at a time until brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. It should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan before cooking each batch of burgers.
Serve immediately or cool and then wrap each burger in foil, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for later. Reheat in a dry pan on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave.
