Vegetarians often get neglected when it comes to exciting burgers. But everyone deserves a homemade, lovingly shaped patty. I feel guilty every time I invite my vegetarian sister over and serve her a sad little vegetarian half-thought. It’s not very welcoming or inclusive of me — two Jewish values that should be paramount at any host’s table.
Now that this frozen-veg-burger-suffering sister is pregnant, I’m stepping up my culinary menschlichkeit and thinking seriously about her nutrients — vegetables, grains, legumes! Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients in this recipe. These bad boys do take 30 minutes to prepare, but a good portion of prep is in the food processor. Plus, they will leave you in veggie burgers for weeks (they freeze well) or can be made ahead of time and reheated when guests arrive.
Inner Beet Burgers
Makes 8 burgers
1 Tbs. olive oil
3⁄4 cup shallots, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced small (approx. 1⁄2 cup)
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 (151⁄2-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1⁄2 cup dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. barbecue sauce
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 Tbs. garam masala
2 tsp. salt
plenty of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 lb. roasted beets (Trader Joe’s prepared beets work well)
1 zucchini, ends trimmed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup almond meal
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
brioche burger buns
sliced pickles and onions
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and carrot, and sauté 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Pour in the balsamic and scrape up any crust from bottom of pan. Simmer until liquid has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry again. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, pulse together chickpeas, apricots, Dijon, barbecue sauce, paprikas, garam masala, salt and pepper — just a few pulses to chop beans small. Transfer to mixing bowl. Stir in sautéed shallots and carrots, along with cooked quinoa.
Place the shredding blade in your food processor and shred the prepared beets and zucchini. Remove from food processor, leaving as much liquid behind as possible, then discard that liquid. Add shredded vegetables to mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, almond meal and all-purpose flour. Mix until incorporated.
To shape burgers, scoop up a cup’s worth, and with your hands form into a thick patty, same size as your brioche burger buns. Heat a cast-iron skillet over stove. Add 1-2 Tbs. of vegetable oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. Cook 3 patties at a time over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until a thick crust forms on the cooked side. Cover the cast-iron pan with a lid. Let sit 8-10 minutes off the heat to cook the burgers all the way through (you are essentially making an impromptu oven). If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet with lid, bake the burgers in a 425-degree oven for 8-10 minutes after pan searing.
Serve the burgers on toasted brioche buns with pickles and onions.
Josie A.G. Shapiro is co-author of “The Lazy Gourmet.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. www.thechickencontests.com