For me, eating a really good veggie burger that I made at home had become a quest.  Long, fraught with disappointments and lots of unappetizing balls of mush.  But alas!  Some beets with that ‘not so fresh feeling’ at the bottom of my crisper (I don’t even remember buying them, let alone when!) led me to a transcendental moment of veggie burger nirvana…and my kids ate them.  And liked them!!

These can be made gluten free by substituting instant oats for bread crumbs.

The Best Beet Burger Evah!

2 beets, well-scrubbed and roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 8oz. pkg. mushrooms, diced small

1 scant cup cooked or canned chickpeas mashed (any mild beans would work here too)

1 cup brown rice cooked in lightly salted water (I like sweet brown rice found at Asian markets but any brown rice that you like will work.)

1 egg beaten lightly

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup pre-crumbled parmesean cheese

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Approximately 1/4 cup olive or canola oil for sauteing and pan frying

1/4 cup water

 

Place beets and onion in food processor and pulse until pieces are pea sized, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.  Warm 1 T oil in large saute pan and saute beets and onion on medium heat for about 3 minutes adding garlic after two.  Add salt and the 1/4 cup water and cover, checking regularly.

Once water is almost absorbed, lower heat to low and add diced mushrooms and cover again.  Check and stir until mushrooms have ‘disappeared’ into the mixture.  Everything in the pan should be fully-cooked and soft but not mushy.  Turn off the stove and remove from heat.  Taste and re-season if needed.

While the beet mixture is cooling mash chickpeas and set aside.  Lightly beat one egg in a large mixing bowl and add cooled beet and mushroom mixture, cooked brown rice and mashed chickpeas incorporating thoroughly.  Add bread crumbs and parmesean.  Final texture should be thick and paste like.  You can adjust be adding more bread crumbs or a bit of water if needed.

I recommend letting the mixture rest at this point for 30 minutes if possible, as I found it holds together better that way, but if you need to get these puppies on a plate faster, frying them up at this point is fine.  Heat oil,  to shimmering on medium heat to begin.  Add a large scoop to the pan, gently flattening and shaping to burger size.  Make sure there is plenty of room around each one (I cooked three at a time in a 10 inch pan).

Adjust heat to med/low to make sure they don’t cook to quickly, though the crispy edges were the best part!  Once the first side has formed a crisp crust (about 2-3 min)  carefully flip.  If one breaks apart a bit just press back together and let the second side form a crust.  I like to serve these with a smoky, sriracha mayo on a nice bun with lettuce and tomato.  Let me know how you like ’em.