Vegetarian Beet Burgers

A month ago, Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) asked for my help coming up with toppings for these gorgeous beet, quinoa, and black bean burgers. How could I refuse?!  Before I tell you what we decided on, let me tell you about the burgers themselves.

The are firm, full of flavor, have great texture, and are a little bit smoky.  Everyone always says this, but they do taste very meaty.  I swear.

Veggie burgers rely on many ingredients to make a good product.  They can be notoriously mushy and fall apart.  This recipe seems to hit all the right notes to make a great burger.  Mushrooms, onions, and beets give moisture and flavor; quinoa gives texture; and black beans and ground nuts hold it all together.

They are baked, which crisps the outside while keeping the inside soft.  They really do stay together, and have much better texture than many veggie burgers I have tried.  Plus they taste amazing.

Melissa and I were really torn on what kind of toppings to put on these. We had so many ideas, but didn’t want to put too many toppings on one burger. So we tried four different combinations to see which we liked the best: tomato, horseradish sauce, & sprouts; pesto, goat cheese, & sprouts; caramelized onions, dijon mustard, avocado, & arugula; and goat cheese, avocado, & arugula (not pictured).

After a few bites, we swapped some ingredients around and came up with what we considered to be the best two combos: caramelized onions, goat cheese, dijon mustard, avocado, & arugula; and pesto, goat cheese, avocado, & sprouts. Play around with toppings, and find what works best for you!

Red Handed Beet Burgers
adapted from Minimalist Baker
serves 4

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1/2 large red onion, finely diced
1 cup diced baby bella mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grated raw beet
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup pistachios or walnuts, ground into a meal
salt and black pepper, to taste
4 burger buns, toasted
toppings – such as caramelized onions, goat cheese, avocados, pesto, dijon mustard, clover sprouts, and/or arugula

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and black pepper.  Sauté until translucent.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms release their liquid and shrink to about half their original size.

Turn the heat off and add the black beans to the pan.  Using a potato masher, thoroughly mash the beans into the onions and mushrooms.  The mashed beans will help hold the patties together.

Stir in the shredded beets, quinoa, thyme, and paprika.

Add the pulverized nuts, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together in a thick, dry-looking dough.  All of the nuts may not be required.  Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Form the beet mixture into 4 thick patties and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.  Chill in the fridge while the oven heats to 375 deg F.

When the oven is hot, bake the beet patties for 45 minutes, carefully turning each patty over after 25 minutes.

Let the patties cool for 5 minutes before serving with buns and toppings as desired.

One Year Ago – Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Two Years Ago – Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Roasted Red Peppers, Fresh Tomatoes, and Grilled Artichoke Hearts
Three Years Ago – Shrimp Packets with Mango Salsa
Four Years Ago – Blackberry Frozen Yogurt
Five Years Ago – Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese