I love veggie burgers, but it can be hard to find a good one. The frozen kind are okay in a pinch, but they’re loaded with sodium and try too hard to mimic the texture and taste of meat. I’m not really interested in a salty, processed soy burger.
I’ve attempted to make them many times and while I’ve never made anything that I didn’t eat, they were all either too mushy or they didn’t hold together well. I want something that I can eat on a bun, is super healthy, with a crispy exterior and hearty interior. Is that too much to ask? I thought so for awhile.
I’ve tried many kinds of recipes from cookbooks, blogs and cooking magazines. I’ve had some hits and some misses, and I have a couple favorites that I come back to. This one I’ve adapted from a favorite blog of mine Oh She Glows.
I’ve changed the recipe a few times, but it remains pretty consistent and uses the same healthy ingredients: black beans, nuts, some veggies, bread crumbs, and some seasonings.
I pack it into a round cookie cutter, which helps it hold together, and then I cook it in my cast iron skillet until it’s browned and crispy. Sometimes I eat it on a bun, sometimes by itself on top of a salad.
This time, I had these beautiful little sweet peppers I got from the farmer’s market and decided to roast them to go on top of my burgers. They did not disappoint.
The Best Homemade Veggie Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon Coarse sea salt
- 1 cup almond or oat flour
- 3 slices sprouted grain bread processed into bread crumbs
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- Small bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup rough chopped almonds or walnuts
- 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the flax seed to about 1/3 cup warm water. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the seasonings and stir and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
- Add the almond flour, bread crumbs to the onions. Stir, and add the sweet potato, pumpkin and black beans. Stir again, lightly mashing the beans. Add the cilantro, nuts and soy sauce.
- Add the flax mix and stir until everything is combined, using your hands if necessary.
- Using a round cookie cutter, form the mixture into burgers. Press as much as possible into the cookie cutter; the more tightly packed it is, the better it will hold together.
- To cook, heat some olive oil in a skillet. Cook on both sides until the outside is browned and crispy. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings, or eat alone.
