I love veggie burgers, but sadly I have mostly been turned off by flat, dried out and frozen varieties you get in a box. Don't get me wrong, if cooked right and with the proper toppings, some varieties can taste well ok... Or if your lucky, on occasion you can find a local resataraunt that makes their own, but many times even they serve just plain ol frozen garden burger's. So my thought is, if I'm gonna have a veggie burger, why not have a home made one? You can put whatever you want in it. Plus, if you make your own, you can make them as thick or thin as you want and I can gaurantee they will be hearty, satisfying and super flavorful.
I decided to whip up a version using quinoa. It's hearty, good for you and you can flavor it pretty much, however you like which makes it a great accompaniment to beans which also works great in burgers. With is recipoe as with most of mine, you can switch it up and put pretty much whatever you like in it to make your own version. As I tend to add a southwestern flare to allot of my recipes I decided to add red pepper and onion along with a little spicy chili powder for an extra kick of flavor.
Ingredients:
1 small onion - chopped
1 red bell pepper - chopped
4 cloves garlic - chopped
2 cups cooked seasoned quinoa (recipe below)- cooled and drained of any excess water
2 cups black beans
1/2 cup rolled outs - plus extra if needed
1 egg
1 tsp hot chili powder or chipotle tabasko sauce
A large pinch or to of salt and pepper, plus more to taste as needed
Directions:
On med-low heat saute garlic, onion and pepper until mostly tender - they should still have a little crunch to them - about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
To cook quinoa: bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil. Add quinoa, a large pinch of salt and pepper and the 1/2 tsp of the chimayo/hot chili powder. Cover for five minutes. Remove lid stir and continue to cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through - about 12-15 minutes. Drain any excess water. Set aside in fridge to cool down.
To make burger mixture:
In a large bowl add black beans, tabasko or chili powder and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. With hands, mash beans until mostly smashed and seasonings are blended in, you will want some chunks of beans remaining for texture. Blend in Quinao and oats - taste mixture for level of seasoning and dd more to taste if needed. Blend in egg, cover mixture and let sit in fridge to firm atleast 1/2 an hour or up to overnight.
To prepare burgers:
Heat pan to medium heat and add 1-2 tbs oil. Take a plate or cooking sheet and line with parchment paper or saran wrap. Take burger mixture and form into even sized patties, about 8-10 depending on the size and thickness you like. I make mine about 4 inches round and 1/2 inch thick. Gently place patties in pan one at a time. Don't overcrowd your pan. These tend to be a little soft so it's best to cook no more than 2-3 at a time.
Garlic Chipotle Mayo
3/4 cup mayonnaise
pinch of salt and pepper
5-6 dashes chipotle tobasko sauce
3 cloves garlic - finely minced
Directions:
In a small bowl blend together all ingredients. Cover and set in fridge for atleast a half an hour. When assembling burgers, spread desired amount of mayo on bread or bun.
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