Kev leaves for work and comes home to find a more grown up version of Hal. At least that’s what he says 2.5 days out of the week. Of course, I can’t see it because I’m with her half the day. We don’t live near our extended family. Mostly because we’ve yet to convince them to trade in the south for the north. But Summer’s let us enjoy their company. From each appendage of our extended family, usually on the first day of our visit, I get the same question. “Are you a vegetarian now?”
I guess I’ve changed over the months and the years. But haven’t we all? Less frosting, more vegetables. This space is tied so tightly to our everyday lives, it’s hard to see the shifts. In the early days, my recipes were made from weekends without plans and a tiny human. They were longwinded, layered, and usually wrapped in an Italian meringue frosting. Now, life is a semi-manageable chaos. So my recipes are short, sweet in a different way, and vegetable laden. My friend says it’s important to communicate shifts. It took these quinoa burgers and that repeated question for me to acknowledge it.
“So, are you a vegetarian now?”
No, but I wouldn’t call myself a carnivore either. As the years have gone on, I find myself leaning towards Michael Pollan’s advice. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” It started with a budget cut while Kev was in grad school. Dropping meat from our receipt made a significant impact. As time trickled on, we just kind of never added it back in, except on occasion.
This whole conversation about diets can be a polarizing one though, which is not my intention. In fact, my neighbor came over for happy hour the other day and started talking about the NPR show she had just listened to about diets linked to longevity—life past 100. “Plant-based, whole grains, and legumes. That’s you!” she said. “I’m not sure I want to live past 100 though,” I said. I found the article she referenced. They also said to drink alcohol moderately and regularly (1-2 glasses a day). If I’ve done anything right, it’s that.
About the recipe—when I set out to work on a plant-based burger, I wanted to create something reminiscent of a beef burger. Protein-packed, firm exterior with a semi-soft interior, and enough grit to each bite. No squishy sweet potato centers. I prefer mine in french fry form. It also had to look reminiscent of a meat burger for tradition sake. One thousand tests later, and I’ve landed right here. An egg and oat flour act as the binding agent. Black quinoa and black beans bring the color and texture. As with any burger, it’s what’s above and below the patty that seals the deal. I cannot recommend these homemade brioche buns and this special burger sauce enough.
Enough diet talk. Let’s cut the watermelon already.
Prepare quinoa. Into a saucepan, combine quinoa ingredients. (Rinse quinoa if you wish.) Bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low, cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until just tender. The skinny white ring around the grain will be visible. Once cooked, add to an uncovered bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. You can make this a couple days in advance. (This quinoa will be on the salty side which is necessary to carry enough flavor throughout the burger.)
Prepare the burgers. Drain and rinse black beans. Roughly mash the beans. Add in the cooled quinoa, chopped nuts, oat flour, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. Stir together until evenly incorporated. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg. Fold into the burger mixture. Set aside. At this point, you can store the mixture in your fridge up to a day.
Meanwhile, prepare the griddle. Turn burners to medium heat and continue to heat for about 10 minutes or until griddle is hot. Spray griddle with a high heat oil. Form the patties to the same width as the buns. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Using a sturdy spatula, remove patties to a baking sheet. Eat immediately or keep warm in a warmed oven.
Or, fry the patties! This might be our favorite way to eat these burgers. To a heated cast iron skillet, add a 1/2″ layer of high heat oil. Place the formed patties into the oil and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Again, using a sturdy spatula, remove patties to a baking sheet. Eat immediately or keep warm in a warmed oven.
Notes
• Black Quinoa acts different from other quinoas. It’s drier, more toothsome, and takes longer to cook. If subbing in a different type of quinoa, use less water (check package instructions) and lower the cook time. • Oat Flour can be purchased but it can be made just as easily. In a food processor or high-powered blender blitz oats until they become a flour. • Worcestershire Sauce is technically not vegetarian. It is pescatarian friendly. My dad always added a couple dashes to his burgers growing up. I had to do the same to these. Omit if desired.
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We made these tonight and they were terrific! They definitely earned a spot on the “repeat” menu. I have been a vegetarian for a little over a year now and have not found a good veggie patty that will stick together until now. Thanks for sharing!
I made these 2 nights ago and they were absolutely delicious. And now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t wait to have a leftover burger today for lunch. My husband and I have been pescetarians for 2 years now, and this was the best burger replacement we’ve tried yet. We’ve had plenty of other veggie/bean/quinoa patties that are delicious in their own ways, but the texture and flavor of this burger (along with the brioche buns) make it the perfect vehicle for all the traditional burger toppings (cheddar, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion and tomato). These patties also stayed together very well while cooking, which is not always the case with veggie burgers. We’ll definitely be keeping this recipe in our rotation, especially through the summer. Thanks so much for developing and sharing it, Melissa!
Is it weird that I love the use of black quinoa in these because the colors of the tomato, onion and lettuce really pop! They look absolutely delicious!
Love it. Along with some family health issues, I just kind of lost my taste for meat after my last boy was born. So it was a meatless diet for me, and eventually (since I was cooking) it was for everyone else in our house. That was, until my oldest boy hit 13 and all he craved were hamburgers. So now, hamburgers for 2 boys and husband, veggie burgers for me and the middle boy. Like you said, sometimes things just shift. As long as were healthy & happy, it’s all good.
Hi! Love the fact that your blog is full of healthy vegeterian options among other more decadent things – balance is the key in both food and life, doesn’t it? And for the purists, Do you think a mixture of chickpea flour and water can replace the egg for a vegan version?
A few years ago I decided that I wouldn’t buy any conventionally produced meat. Since ethically raised meat is expensive, we didn’t buy any and still rarely do. It’s funny how we get into habits like that. I tend to like the idea of veggie burgers more than I like veggie burgers, but this one looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Can you believe I hardly ever made veggie burgers at home? That has to change! I’m with you and Lilly, even though my blog is focused, I do find that I like the more flexible way of eating and see that classifying the way someone eats brings on lots of strong feelings and thoughts on who does what. Honestly, eat what you want, feel how you do! Much love for that picture of Hal on the porch, so cute!
Cannot wait to make these—I’m a mega veggie burger fan! And I so feel you re that burning question. I was vegetarian/vegan/intense alt diet (lol) for so long that now, even at dinners where I’m sitting chomping on carnitas tacos, people look me straight in the eye and ask if I’m vegetarian. Similarly to you, I rarely eat meat. But I also find no value in polarizing conversations and fear—and I was tired of my own fear of trying things like carnitas tacos ;). So no, I’m not vegetarian, either, even though almost all my food is. And I know one thing for sure: I’m coming over for these burgers!!
We made these tonight and they were terrific! They definitely earned a spot on the “repeat” menu. I have been a vegetarian for a little over a year now and have not found a good veggie patty that will stick together until now. Thanks for sharing!
I made these 2 nights ago and they were absolutely delicious. And now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t wait to have a leftover burger today for lunch. My husband and I have been pescetarians for 2 years now, and this was the best burger replacement we’ve tried yet. We’ve had plenty of other veggie/bean/quinoa patties that are delicious in their own ways, but the texture and flavor of this burger (along with the brioche buns) make it the perfect vehicle for all the traditional burger toppings (cheddar, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion and tomato). These patties also stayed together very well while cooking, which is not always the case with veggie burgers. We’ll definitely be keeping this recipe in our rotation, especially through the summer. Thanks so much for developing and sharing it, Melissa!
Is it weird that I love the use of black quinoa in these because the colors of the tomato, onion and lettuce really pop! They look absolutely delicious!
Love it. Along with some family health issues, I just kind of lost my taste for meat after my last boy was born. So it was a meatless diet for me, and eventually (since I was cooking) it was for everyone else in our house. That was, until my oldest boy hit 13 and all he craved were hamburgers. So now, hamburgers for 2 boys and husband, veggie burgers for me and the middle boy. Like you said, sometimes things just shift. As long as were healthy & happy, it’s all good.
Give me all the veggie burgers and watermelon!! I love the philosophy and the recipe – Thanks for sharing!
Hi! Love the fact that your blog is full of healthy vegeterian options among other more decadent things – balance is the key in both food and life, doesn’t it? And for the purists, Do you think a mixture of chickpea flour and water can replace the egg for a vegan version?
That’s my favorite food quote! I try and live by it. 🙂
A few years ago I decided that I wouldn’t buy any conventionally produced meat. Since ethically raised meat is expensive, we didn’t buy any and still rarely do. It’s funny how we get into habits like that. I tend to like the idea of veggie burgers more than I like veggie burgers, but this one looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.
Can you believe I hardly ever made veggie burgers at home? That has to change! I’m with you and Lilly, even though my blog is focused, I do find that I like the more flexible way of eating and see that classifying the way someone eats brings on lots of strong feelings and thoughts on who does what. Honestly, eat what you want, feel how you do! Much love for that picture of Hal on the porch, so cute!
Cannot wait to make these—I’m a mega veggie burger fan! And I so feel you re that burning question. I was vegetarian/vegan/intense alt diet (lol) for so long that now, even at dinners where I’m sitting chomping on carnitas tacos, people look me straight in the eye and ask if I’m vegetarian. Similarly to you, I rarely eat meat. But I also find no value in polarizing conversations and fear—and I was tired of my own fear of trying things like carnitas tacos ;). So no, I’m not vegetarian, either, even though almost all my food is. And I know one thing for sure: I’m coming over for these burgers!!