I love a good veggie burger. They are so satisfying! I especially love the veggie burgers with a good dose of healthy grains and vegetables. I also love how creative veggie burgers can be. I’ve had a number of awesome veggie burgers in my life time. My favourite veggie burger is from a local restaurant called Baked Expectations. I was also very impressed by the veggie burger at Black Bird Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The veggie burger was a black bean burger, but it had delicious tart dried cranberries baked in. I have also tried a falafel-inspired veggie burger with homemade banana pepper salsa and a pakora-inspired veggie burger with a fantastic curry mayo. Mmm!
A few weeks ago, I realized, as much as I LOVE veggie burgers, I’ve only ever made them at home once. I’ve been too preoccupied trying all of the veggie burgers restaurants in my city have to offer. About a year ago, I made thai chickpea falafel veggie burgers. They were fantastic! (note to self: share this recipe soon). But I have yet to find a “standard” veggie burger recipe that I could go to whenever I need a burger to use as a blank canvas. A few weeks back, I decided it would be my mission this summer to find the perfect go-to veggie burger recipe.
These Mediterranean Quinoa Veggie Burgers are my first attempt at finding such a perfect burger. And they were good! They had a really nice texture and were perfect when paired with mediterranean flavours such as roasted balsamic tomatoes and feta almond pesto. I think they would work nicely with latin flavours as well, if I were to add some cumin, chili powder and fresh corn to the quinoa mixture. Perhaps I could even experiment with indian flavours or thai flavours – perhaps make a delicious mango chutney or stir in some finely chopped thai basil. Hmmmm! Lots of possibilities!!!
My only complaint about this burger, was that it was a little tough trying to get the patties to stay together. They were really light and therefore, I would not recommend cooking these on the BBQ. So, if you are looking for a veggie burger to really sink your teeth into, then I’d suggest trying one with beans and/or tofu. Since these patties were not fried in oil, the are low-fat. The exterior of the burger crisped up nicely and the interior was nice & soft – without being too mushy. These were a great first attempt, if I do say so myself! This one is a contender!
If you know of a fantastic veggie burger recipe you think I should try in my quest to find the perfect one, please post the link in the comments :) Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa; rinsed (about 2 cups cooked)
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup of coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup of coarsely grated zucchini
- 3/4 cup of coarsely grated carrot
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 egg beaten (or flax egg)
- 2 cups of panko bread crumbs
- salt and peper to taste
Garnish
Method
1. Place the grated zucchini and carrot in a colander/strainer lined with paper towels to reduce some of the moisture.
2. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.
3. Heat a large, wide non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil then the mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, shallot and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the quinoa. Stir in the egg or flax egg. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Allow the mixture to cool slightly then combine the vegetables in a bowl with the panko bread crumbs. Heat the same non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
5. Firmly press some of the quinoa mixture into 1/2 cup measuring cup. Turn and release the patty into the pan. Gently press to shape and ensure the burger will stay together. Flatten the burger slightly. Repeat, cooking 4 patties at a time. Cook each patty until golden and warmed through (about 4 minutes per side).
6. Place patties on a whole grain bun. Garnish with feta almond pesto and roasted balsamic cherry tomatoes. Note: toast buns if you’d like a crunchier burger.
Yield: 8 to 10 patties
Source: loosely adapted from Chatalaine Magazine July 2011
oooh i’ve got one for you! if you’ll pardon the poor photography – i was still new at the whole blogging thing :) seriously though, this veggie burger is a staple in my house – it’s satisfying, filling, and kind of super delicious.
http://www.gastronomicalsovereignty.com/2011/03/black-bean-veggie-burgers.html
Oh yum!!! Thanks for the link. Looks delicious and really easy to make. It’s going on my list! Thanks Kristy! :)
I love veggie burgers ! I am glad you posted a recipe. Summer = veggies burgers :)
I agree! summer = veggie burgers.
I plan on trying many more recipes for veggie burgers over the summer & posting results.
I need to find THE ONE to satisfy all veggie burger cravings. LOL :)
I agree with you – Baked Expectations has one of the best veggie burgers. Have you tried Cousin’s Deli? Their veggie burger is pretty awesome too! I just picked up some Quinoa, so I think I’ll be giving these a try really soon!!
I wish I could find the recipe for the Baked Expectations veggie burger. I would make it all the time! :)
I have yet to try Cousins! I’ve heard their veggie burgers are amazing though! The new quinoa veggie burger at Stellas is also really good.
Thanks for the lovely comment Amanda! xoxo
I love making veggie burgers/patties, especially because I can put the leftovers in the freezer and pull one out whenever I need a quick dinner. I like to try new kinds all the time, so I haven’t really settled on one favourite. Some of the ones that stand out in my memory are some tahini carrot tofu patties from Canadian Living, the beet-chickpea patties and the sweet potato patties from my blog, and these black bean-plantain patties (http://www.veggiebyseason.com/2010/08/black-bean-and-plantain-croquettes.html). I’ve also tried quinoa burgers, and white bean burgers. I really want to try these apple sage chickpea burgers next(http://www.edibleperspective.com/2012/01/apple-sage-chickpea-burgers/) – maybe you could put them on your list and let me know how they turn out!
Thanks for all of the great ideas & suggestions! :) I love Canadian Living recipes, so I will definitely try the tahini tofu patties. I will definitely try your sweet potato patties too! And the apple sage chickpea burgers sound neat!
these look delicious, courtney! veggie burgers can be so delicious, and i love that you added to zucchini and mushrooms…and quinoa!
These were really, really good. Even better the second day! The flavours developed a bit more and the burger was so satisfying. Really hit the spot! :)
I rarely see quinoa burgers,nevermind fabulous Mediterranean burgers, so I can’t wait to try these!
Thanks Dawn :) The feta almond pesto really makes these burgers fantastic.
these look so tasty Courtney! i actually have most of the ingredients on hand, so i’m definitely making them for lunches this week!
Thanks Jenn! :) Let me know what you think when you have a chance to try them :)
I am with you, I have been on the quest for making the perfect veggie burger…one that holds up on the grill well :)
I LOVE this buger with all of the variations you suggested – the alomond feta pesto sounds to die for with balsamic roasted tomatoes, you are a girl after my own heart!
I may need your help finding a good veggie burger to grill. A lot of the ones I’ve been checking out have quinoa and/or sweet potatoes and see a little too delicate for the grill.
The feta almond pesto is so so so good. I guarantee it would be just as great if you made a cashew cream and pureed it with basil and almonds and garlic :)
Oh heck ya! I’m going to try to make this next week when I’m going fully vegetarian!! Thanks love xo
I highly recommend them :) You’ll be hooked!
i love burgers. you have suggested so many variations.
out of all the variation you mentioned was one with pakoras…. we have something similar to this one.
in india there is road side snack called as vada pav… where spiced mashed potato balls coated with gram flour batter are deep fried. these deep fried balls are then sandwiched in the indian bun (known as pav) with some mint cilantro chutney, tamarind-dates-jaggery chutney and dry garlic red chili chutney… its yum with all the flavors & tastes bursting in the mouth.
Vada Pav sounds fantastic Dassana! Yum! I would love to try the mint cilantro chutney on a veggie burger. Sounds wonderful. Do you have a recipe for this on your blog?
i have a recipe of the vada as well as the pav. you should try making the batata vada at home. it is awesome. batata means potato and vada means a fried snack like fritters.
also instead of pav you can use burger buns. just apply some cilantro mint chutney and tamarind jaggery chutney on the buns.
these are old posts and i have the new pics that still need to be updated :-(
they are not step by step. if you get stuck at anything you can ping me on facebook.
here are the links:
1: batata vada: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/batata-vada-potato-bonda-aloo-vada/
2: how to make vada pav: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/vada-pav-how-to-make-wada-pav/
3: pav recipe: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pav-recipe-indian-pav/
Pinning this! I agree with you–for me, I’m all about the grain/veggie burgers. We went to one of my favorite restaurants over the weekend & they used to serve a veggie burger made with grains, but they replaced it with one of those soy grillers ones and there was nothing else veg on the menu! I suffered through it, but it was not good at all.
Anyway! I discovered a trick when it comes to making veggie burgers and it might work with this one. Make the mixture in the morning, put it in the fridge, and then make them into patties at dinnertime. It doesn’t work with every recipe, but a lot of ones that I thought were difficult really improved after several hours of refrigeration.
i love the sound of all that quinoa in this burger. I’d eat veggie burgers everyday if i could! you can add regular four or chickpea flour to help hold it together.
Also, please do drop by the fundraiser on my blog, if you have a minute, to bid, or share. I raising funds through auction of of some fun goodies donated by fellow bloggers for an amazing non profit in India. every little bit helps:) Thanks a bunch! http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/p/fundraiser-for-vspca.html
These look delicious, and I’m always on the lookout for a good veggie burger. The quinoa/water ratio seems a lot though. Does this make the quinoa fluffier? Is this a better option for a burger? When I make quinoa I always use a 1c quinoa to 1-1/2 c water and it turns out perfect.
Love your blog, in every way.
Thanks Kate! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a lovely comment. :)
And you are right! It was supposed to be 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water. My mistake! I have corrected the recipe now :) I’m glad you pointed that out. Thanks!!!
These look great! Something like these have been on my mind to make for a while. Yum! :)
i only recently stumbled across your blog and im so glad i did. i cooked this for dinner tonight with the tomatoes and the almond feta pesto. i’d never cooked a veggie burger but i will be cooking them again! tasted delicious!!! my boyfriend was so impressed and he hates the idea of dinner without meat. thanks for the recipe.
We do a fairly simple veggie burger that my husband loves.
A can of kidney beans,
about a cup of oats, or crumbled rice cake, or bread crumbs, or crackers, etc.
a sauce – BBQ sauce, salsa, ketchup, etc depending on what taste you feel like
1 egg
diced onion, green onion, etc if you like
mush it all together and then BBQ on low about 5-10 minutes/side (or fry, or bake)