I’ve never had a veggie burger. Despite 10 years of not eating red meat, I never gave one a chance. Now that I am a full fledged carnivore who tries to eat less meat, I’d been dying to try a veggie burger! After scouring my cookbooks and the internet, I complied this recipe using leftovers that I had in my fridge. I was shocked with how simple and delicious it was.
While this recipe couldn’t compete against my favorite bison burger, it holds it’s own to any healthy, average weeknight meal.
Black Bean & Beet Burgers
Ingredients
-1 cup beets, roasted, cooled, & shredded
-1 cup black beans, cooked & cooled
-1 cup brown, black or wild rice, cooked & cooled
-¼ cup oats
-½ cup wheat germ
-¼ cup Italian seasoning
-1 tbsp salt
-freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the blade attachment, gently pulse all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least a half an hour to chill.
2. Form perfect patties using a parchment covered baking sheet, a large cookie scoop, an English muffin ring, and an oiled spoon. Drop 2 scoops on mixture into the ring on top of the parchment. Lightly press mixture into ring with the spoon. Gently remove ring, using your finger to prevent the mixture from tearing at the edges. Otherwise, just shape them with your hands.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 and a cast iron skillet on medium high. Pour a thin layer of oil into the skillet and, once the oil is hot, gently turn a burger or two into the skillet. Cook about two minutes on each side, allowing the mixture to “brown.” Place burger back onto parchment covered baking sheet, top with cheese, and finish heating in the oven until cheese is ooey gooey.
4. Serve on a toasted bun with your favorite toppings.