Don’t those patties look like regular, ready-to-cook burgers? The ones in the top photo?
But they’re not. In fact, they are veggie burgers and the vegetable mixture includes chopped beets, which makes them red, like raw beef.
I am a meat eater for sure. So is Ed. But sometimes we want something lighter for dinner. So occasionally we will have a vegetarian meal. Usually it’s eggs or a salad or some kind of pasta dish. But I love root vegetables and thought I would figure out how to make a burger looking dish, like this one.
I also cooked the mixture as meatloaf (glazed the top with a mixture of some Balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil). That was quite tasty too, though I prefer the burgers. We are big sandwich eaters at our house.
Beet, Quinoa and Vegetable Burgers
- 1 small sweet potato
- 1/2 cup raw quinoa
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup cooked white beans
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 small beet, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 packed cup chard leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil for frying
- 12-16 slices multigrain bread (or use burger buns)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Roast the sweet potato until tender (or microwave it). Scoop the flesh into a bowl. While the potato is cooking, place the quinoa and water together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for about 12-14 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Add the quinoa to the bowl with the sweet potato. Mash the beans and add to the bowl. Heat the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, beet, carrots, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the chard and mix it in. Remove the pan from the heat, let cool slightly and add to the bowl. Toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Add the bread crumbs, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 6 or 8 patties. Coat the patties with some flour. Heat about 1/8-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Fry the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side or until hot and crispy. Toast the bread if desired. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard. Spread equal amounts of the mustard-mayo on half the bread slices. Top with a burger, then the remaining bread.
Makes 6-8 servings