Recipe: How to Make A Veggie Burger

Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Owner, Nourish Northwest

Every week I make a different veggie burger for one of my personal chef clients.  From beet to bean to mushroom burgers, I have tried it all.  Occasionally, I hit a wall when trying to think of new creative idea, but here’s the thing: the possibilities for homemade veggie burgers are really endless.  You can get creative with using any combination of veggies, beans/nuts, grains and seasonings. You don’t have to be confined to the generic frozen varieties, in fact a homemade version is going to be way healthier and more delicious.  Veggie patties should be healthy and nutritionally balanced, as opposed some of the packaged brands that are ultra processed and essentially just soy and sodium.  Most patties freeze perfectly, so you can always have a quick meal on hand.  Follow this basic formula and then use your creative rights!

Beans:

Pretty much any bean will work great.  I usually use one can of either black beans, white beans or chickpeas, or 1 3/4 cups of cooked lentils.  Reserve bean liquid in case your patty turns out too dry.

Veggies:

Here’s where you get to play.  Mix and match any combo of cooked/raw veggies for a total quantity of 2 cups.  I like: shredded raw beets, chopped spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, sauteed zucchini and peppers, and cooked mushrooms. I also always include some sauteed onion and garlic. Remember to cut veggies into really small pieces so they don’t interfere with the cohesiveness of the patty.

Grains:

You will need 1 cup of cooked grains to help soak of some of the moisture of the beans and to help bind the patty together.  They will also provide more substance to the burger.  You can use cooked quinoa, millet, brown rice etc.  

Herbs/Spices:

Again,  this is your opportunity for creativity.  Fresh parsley, basil and green onions work great, as do dried cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and oregano.

 

Binders:

You often have to play with the amount of binders, depending on your other ingredients.  I typically use about 1/2 cup of ground up oats or bread crumbs and/or 1-2 flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax dissolved in 3 Tbsp water)

Optional Additions:

If you like a little texture in your burger you can add up to 1/2 cup of any nuts/seeds, such as sunflower or chopped walnuts. Nut butters and tahini make great flavor additions.