The ultimate veggie burger everyone will love & enjoy
This idea would not have come into my head but for my friend Anna who requested I come up with a recipe! This satisfying veggie burger is based on a beetroot burger made by a supermarket… without the plastic packaging! I had great fun experimenting with this recipe and it is definitely a keeper!
The Veggie Burger Recipe
I have tried to make this as close to the original burger as I could. However, I have omitted a few ingredients and substituted them for something else because, let’s face it, who has potato flakes to hand for example?
The base of this recipe is a tin of chickpeas, beetroot and spinach, with some carrot, onion, cooked quinoa (you could sub rice) and some spices. Have a look at the recipe.
- 35 g quinoa (approx 3 tablespoons) washed
- 50 g onion (approx half medium) chopped
- 110 g carrot (approx 1 medium) chopped
- 100 g spinach washed
- 210 g beetroot roughly chopped
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas drained
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
- 1.5 tablespoons coriander powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic granules
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cornflour (approx 30g)
- *optional 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- *optional 3-4 tablespoons oats
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Start by washing the quinoa throughly until the water runs clear, you can do this in a mug or in the small saucepan you will cook it in. Cover the quinoa with water, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes (keep an eye on the water level).
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In a non stick frying pan, cook the onion until just turning brown (add a bit of oil if you need to). Add the carrot, stir through and allow to soften.
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Rinse your spinach (it will seem a lot but it will shrink), shake the water from the leaves, then add to the pan. Allow to wilt down then mix with the onion and carrot. When the spinach is completely wilted, remove the pan from the heat. (Check your quinoa).
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Using a blender, food processor or stick blender, blend the vegetable mix with the chickpeas and beetroot. You want to try and get this quite smooth – although if your processor only does chunky, that will still work just with a different texture.
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Transfer the blended mix to a bowl and add the quinoa (the quinoa should have soaked up all the water and be fully cooked and fluffy).
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Sprinkle in the mint, coriander, garlic and salt and mix through evenly. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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Stir in the cornflour and optional ingredients if using. The mix should be firm enough to hold together. Either, set the mixture aside (in the fridge) to cook later, or form into patties.
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You can free-form the burgers by hand, or press some of the mix into a pastry ring and press down with the back of a spoon. The mixture makes 6-8 large thick patties or about 12 smaller, thinner burgers.
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To cook, these are designed to be baked in the oven at Gas 5, (375f / 190c) for 25-30 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the burger and how firm or soft you prefer them. Alternatively you can shallow fry the burgers for a few minutes each side before transferring to the oven to cook through.
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Enjoy!
Serve these as you would a traditional burger, in a roll with salad, sauce and cheese. Add some chips or wedges to make a great meal. Alternatively serve these burgers cold with coleslaw and salad.
Here’s a quick step-by-step picture walk through of the recipe for you!
What do I need?
You can make these burgers as easy or complicated as you wish! I have created this recipe to make it simple to copy, but as with all of my recipes, you can switch things around if needed! Use soaked dried chickpeas, use frozen spinach, throw in a handful of sweetcorn, use breadcrumbs instead of cornflour… make them suited to you and your family without having to shop just for the recipe!
However, if you are new to cooking or your kitchen needs a refresh, here are a few things which you may find useful for this recipe. I receive a small commission if you click and purchase through these links (this is at no additional cost to you)!
Serving your burgers
Cook the burgers just before eating and serve hot in burger rolls. You can serve your burgers with whatever extras you would normally add to a burger! Try fried mushrooms and onions, salad, coleslaw, barbecue relish and cheese! Cook some crispy fries to go on the side, or even some spicy potato wedges.
Storage
These store well in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes or in a frying pan on a low heat. You can freeze these after cooking for up to three months – separate with greaseproof paper and pop in a box or wrap in foil. Be sure to label and date them if freezing.
Sharing
I really hope you try making these beetroot burgers! I love seeing your adaptions and interpretations of my recipes and I’d love to see your photos of your ready to eat burgers! Do you have any other ideas? How about making them spicier by swapping the mint for paprika and chilli flakes? Or after making the burger mix, add in some sweetcorn and peas before cooking? What are you loading your burgers up with… ? Please share and tag me @LifeDietHealth or using #LifeDietHealth on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.
Leave me a comment below… I love to chat!
I hope to speak with you soon
Laurena x
