A mother recently asked to reproduce the veggie beet burger that her daughter loves at a local restaurant. The lengthy ingredient lists and time commitments of all other searches for “beet-black bean burger” left the mother feeling overwhelmed.
It is simple, easy to make, tasty, and nutritious. It only takes ten ingredients and about an hour (less, depending on the cooking method). It’s also loaded with nutrients like black beans, raw walnuts, and quinoa.
These burgers were inspired by the beet and quinoa burgers that are served at LT Burger, Sag Harbor in New York. The reader who sent me an email raved about them, even though I’ve never tried it myself. If her daughter, who considers most veggie burgers “weird,” loved this one, then there must be some special ingredient.
After looking at their menu, I wanted to go to the area only and sample LT’s menu. For now, I’ll have to recreate their recipes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- Half a large red onion (finely chopped // 1/2 onion yields about 3/4 cup)
- Finely chop 1 cup mushrooms (shitakes, baby Bellas, or white buttons)
- Salt & Pepper: 1 pinch of each
- One 15-ounce black bean can (well rinsed, drained).
- 1 cup of finely grated raw beet
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (or sub extra cumin)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup raw nuts (crushed into a meal or ground to a fine powder)
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa now if you haven’t already. 14 cups of uncooked quinoa yields 34 cups of cooked quinoa.
- Add some olive oil or nonstick spray to a large skillet and heat it on medium-low. Once the skillet is hot, add the onions and cook them while seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add the mushrooms when the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add another pinch of pepper and salt, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes until the onions and mushrooms are fragrant and slightly browned.
- Remove from heat, add black beans, and mash. If you like a little texture, you can add a few black beans and mash.
- Add the spices, quinoa, and beets to the mixture and stir. Add a little vegan Worcestershire sauce or A-1 (optional) to the mix for more flavor. Add more salt to taste for a better overall flavor. (We added 1/4 tsp).
- Add the walnut meal, a little bit at a time, until the mixture can be formed into patties. While your oven is heating up to 375 degrees F, place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
- Spray or oil a baking tray with nonstick spray. The mixture should be formed into patties about the size of 1/3 cup (8-9 patties // adjust as needed if changing batch size). To get the perfect shape, I line the lid of a peanut butter jar with plastic wrap (a tip that I learned from Iowa Girl Eats). You can also take a handful and mash it into loose patties.
- Place burgers in a baking pan and spray or brush the tops of them with olive oil. Gently turning after 25-30 mins. Bake at 375 F for 30-45 mins. It’s possible to cook them longer to get a crispier result and more dryness, but this is not necessary.
- Serve on buns or top with your favorite toppings. For freezing instructions, see the notes.