These veggie burgers have awesome flavor and are a frugal meal idea!
One of my favorite meals is a veggie burger. I like my veggie burger to have great texture and it has to have flavor. One thing that I don't care for in a veggie burger is one that resembles/tastes like ground beef. It just has to have a great mouth appeal and texture. This recipe has not only a great texture but it also has great flavor from the spices and nutritional yeast. This veggie burger is awesome on a toasted bun with your favorite toppings. This veggie burger is a great meatless option that is also vegan. Think meatless Monday meal idea!
The main ingredient in these veggie burgers is probably sitting in your pantry. The ingredient that I am talking about is quinoa. Most people, including me, find the grain quinoa quite boring if not tasty. Sure quinoa is a healthy grain that is loaded with protein but it tends to lack flavor and texture when served by itself. I know I joined the quinoa craze and bought several bags of this ancient grain, only to find out that my family did not like it. So being the frugal person that I am, I just left that bag of quinoa grain sit in my pantry.
Once I discovered this Quinoa & Bean Veggie Burger recipe, I was glad that I had quinoa in my pantry to use. Quinoa is easy to cook and it does not take that long to cook. Quinoa is gluten-free and is a plant-based ingredient. So these delicious burgers are vegan and dairy-free. You can top the burgers with cheese and then they will be a vegetarian meal.
So easy to make
These plant-based burgers are so easy to make and use many frugal ingredients like white beans and spices. The burgers can be made in the oven or on the stovetop. The vegan burgers are great for a family meal. Just serve them on buns with your favorite burger toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and ketchup. This recipe makes four veggie burgers but can easily be doubled. The vegetarian burgers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days so they are ready for quick healthy lunches.
This meatless burger uses a flax meal egg instead of a real egg. If you don't have any flax meal, you can grind up some flax seeds or swap out chia seeds. I love using chia seeds for vegan eggs. If you are trying to bake without eggs, you need to check out these
11 egg substitutes for baking and more.
Quinoa & Bean Veggie Burger
Ingredients (makes 4 patties)
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons
thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 can white beans, 15-ounce, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 flax egg (1 Tbs flaxseed meal + 3 Tbs water)
2-3 tablespoons water if needed
salt & cracked pepper, to taste
coconut oil for frying
Make your flaxseed egg by combining the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl, set aside.
In a medium pot, bring water, quinoa, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, remove the cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, saute the diced onion in a frypan until lightly brown.
Mash the white beans in a large bowl. Then add the cooked quinoa and sauteed onion, mix well. Add the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and the flax egg along with salt and pepper to your taste, mix well. If the mixture seems too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. The mixture should be moist like clay.
Divide the mixture to form four patties. Form the patties by taking each section and packing it tightly into a ball. Then flatten with your hands to make the patties.
Cook one of two ways:
1. In the oven at 375 degrees on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.
OR
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon Ghee or coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook patties about 4 – 5 minutes on each side.
Enjoy the veggie burgers on a toasted bun with your favorite fixings
