Homemade veggie burgers with roasted beets and aquafaba

Contributed by Food for health editors


Homemade veggie burgers with roasted beets and aquafaba

The quest for homemade veggie burgers that you can flip while grilling is over! With a texture that’s satisfying — not too mushy and not so dry that they fall apart — these vegan veggie burgers are adapted from a recipe on Veganosity.

The mystery ingredient in these burgers, aquafaba, is something that you have probably poured down the drain in the past. However, once you’ve tried it, you’ll likely find countless ways to use the magical liquid from chickpeas in your own kitchen.

Servings: 4 to 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole rolled oats
  • 1 15-ounce can low- or no-salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed (save the aquafaba)
  • 1/2 cup aquafaba
  • 2 medium-sized roasted beets, cut in quarters
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce or BBQ sauce
  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning (Cajun, jerk, curry, or another smoky spice blend)
  • Ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • Olive or canola oil for cooking

Tip: Use a combination of red and golden beets, or replace one beet with roasted butternut squash to reduce the pinkness of the finished burgers.

Directions

  1. Grind the oats into coarse flour with a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, to the processor and pulse until the mixture forms a stiff ball. You may have to add breadcrumbs (if it is too wet) or aquafaba (if it is too dry) to get the right consistency. Don’t add more than a teaspoon of either at a time — a little bit can change the consistency.
  2. Carefully remove the mixture from the food processor and form it into 4 to 6 patties, depending on how big you like your veggie burgers. Veggie burgers should be between 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick.
  3. Cook in a skillet or on the grill over medium heat, flipping every two minutes. Brush them with a thin layer of oil to prevent sticking. They are done when they are heated through, but not dried out in the center (about 8 minutes total). You can store cooked veggie burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month.
  4. Serve on a whole-wheat bun with your favorite condiments and toppings.

Note: To get the best results from your aquafaba, turn the can of chickpeas upside down and shake gently before you drain your chickpeas through a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Any extra aquafaba will keep in the fridge for 1 week, or you can freeze it.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Serving size: 1 burger (out of 6)
  • Calories: 209
  • Total fat: 7 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 274 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 31 g
  • Dietary fiber: 6 g
  • Total sugars: 2 g
  • Protein: 7 g

Nutrition information calculated using 1 teaspoon oil/each. Does not include added salt.