Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers

Name: Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup cooked quinoa; 1/2 large red onion ((finely diced // 1/2 onion yields ~3/4 cup)); 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms ((shitake, baby bella, or white button)); 1 pinch each salt & pepper; 1 15-ounce can black beans ((well rinsed and drained)); 1 cup finely grated raw beet; 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp chili powder ((or sub extra cumin)); 1/4 tsp smoked paprika; ~1/2 cup raw walnuts ((crushed or ground into a loose meal))

GF VG V DF NS

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Holding up a hearty vegan Black Bean Beet Burger

Every now and again you lovely readers send me emails with recipe requests.

One such request came recently from a mother hoping to recreate the veggie beet burger a local restaurant serves that her daughter just happens to love. All other searches for “beet black bean burger” left her a little overwhelmed at the extensive ingredient lists and time commitments.

Minimalist Baker to the rescue.

Mushrooms, walnuts, onion, and other ingredients for making vegan Quinoa Black Bean Beet Burgers

This recipe is easy to master, nutritious, flavorful, and most importantly, simple. Just 10 ingredients and roughly 1 hour required (less depending on cooking method). Plus, it’s loaded with nutrient-rich foods like raw walnuts, black beans, quinoa, and raw beets.

Flavorful vegan Black Bean Beet Burgers on a baking sheet

These burgers are loosely inspired by the beet-quinoa burgers served seasonally at LT Burger in Sag Harbor, New York. Of course, I haven’t tried them myself, but the reader who emailed just raved about it. And if her daughter who thinks most veggie burgers are “weird” loved this one, there must be something special about it.

After scanning their menu I seriously wanted to visit the area just to sample LT’s menu. But for now, recreating their recipes from afar will have to do.

Cutting board with Vegan Black Bean Beet Burgers loaded with veggies and toppings

I was quite pleased with how these little guys turned out. They’re

Hearty
Smoky
Flavorful
Tender and moist on the inside
Perfectly crisp on the outside
Not at all mushy
Simple
Savory
& Perfect for satisfying killer burger cravings

Another thing I love about them is that the raw beets give them a deep magenta hue that makes them irresistibly beautiful. Even veggie burger skeptics are sure to fall in love.

Black Bean Beet Burger on a bun with lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and onion

Partially eaten vegan Black Beet Burger on a bun

If you give these burgers a try, let us know! Leave a comment below, or tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see how yours turned out. We love seeing your photos – it always makes our day. Cheers!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 (patties)

Course Entree

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 3-4 Weeks (see notes)

Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 large red onion (finely diced // 1/2 onion yields ~3/4 cup)
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (shitake, baby bella, or white button)
1 pinch each salt & pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans (well rinsed and drained)
1 cup finely grated raw beet
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (or sub extra cumin)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
~1/2 cup raw walnuts (crushed or ground into a loose meal)

Instructions

If you do not already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~3/4 cup cooked.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or a bit of olive oil. Once hot add the onion and sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add black beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, so you can leave a bit of texture if you want.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the quinoa, beets, spices and stir. For even more flavor, add a shake of vegan worcestershire or A-1 sauce (optional). Taste and adjust, adding more salt for overall flavor (we added another 1/4 tsp).
Lastly, add the walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is able enough to form into patties. Set in the fridge to chill while your oven preheats to 375 degrees F (190 C) (skip this step if cooking on the stovetop – see notes).
Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 1/3-cup sized patties (8-9 patties // adjust if altering batch size). I use a peanut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape (a tip I learned from Iowa Girl Eats). You can also just take handfuls and mash them into loose patties.
Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping after 25-30 minutes. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve more crisp, but it’s not necessary.
Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens with desired toppings. See notes for freezing instructions.

Notes

*For a quicker prep time, you can use a food processor to chop the walnuts, mushrooms, and beets. Use the “s blade” for the walnuts and mushrooms and the grater attachment for the beets.
*Prep time does not include cooking quinoa. You can use leftover quinoa.
*For a quicker cook time, form into slightly thinner patties and brown in a skillet over medium heat lightly coated with olive, avocado or coconut oil. Cook until brown on both sides – 3-4 minutes each. NOTE: This method doesn’t get them as well done in the middle, but the crust is more pronounced.
* FREEZING: If you don’t want to cook the whole batch at once, form into 10 patties, par-bake them at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes. Then cool and stack between layers of parchment paper and cover. Freeze for up to a few weeks. To cook, place on baking sheet still frozen and bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) until desired texture/color is reached – roughly 25-35 minutes.
*If they are falling apart when flipping, that likely means they were formed too large or flipped too early. If that happens with one burger, cook longer before flipping the rest.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 patty Calories: 125 Carbohydrates: 17.2 g Protein: 6.1 g Fat: 4.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 257 mg Fiber: 3.8 g Sugar: 1.8 g