If you’re looking for meal prep recipes, this one a go-to for me. I make a batch and freeze half. I definitely wanted to make the smoked flavor standout, because that’s what I love about a great burger, but I also wanted to make sure the bean and vegetable components were apparent – because I’m not trying to make this be a stand-in for meat, its simply a damn good vegan burger option.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
2 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
15 ounce can cooked chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 cup diced carrots
½ cup coarse gluten-free bread crumbs
¾ cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 T. red chili paste (siracha works)
2 T. fermented ketchup (I used the Dark Horse brand) could also use organic ketchup
½ tsp. liquid smoke
2 Tbsp non-modified potato starch
Avocado, coconut, or olive oil (for searing patties)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cook quinoa in 1 ½ cups salted water until fluffy (about 45 mins). Cool and reserve.
2. In a separate pan, sauté the onion until translucent and browned. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and chile powder. Add chickpeas and cook for 5 to 10 mins, stirring constantly.
3. Deglaze the hot pan with white wine vinegar and scrape everything from the bottom of the pan back into the mix.
Using a potato masher, smash the onion-chickpea mixture.
Mix the chickpea mash by hand with the cooled quinoa.
4. Roast the carrots in the oven until dark around the edges and soft (about 25 mins). Add to the chickpea-quinoa mixture.
5. Add the breadcrumbs, walnuts, lemons, parsley, chile sauce, fermented ketchup and liquid smoke and season again with salt and pepper.
6. Mix the potato starch with 1 Tbsp water to make a cloudy, thick mixture. Stir it into the burger mix as a binding agent. Form the mixture into 8 to 10 patties and sear them in the oil on a hot saute pan until crispy on the outside and browned (about 4 minutes on each side).
7. To serve, place each patty on a piece of leafy lettuce. Dress with your favorite toppings.