Vegetarian Beet Quinoa Burger

Scrumptious vegetarian beet quinoa burger with feta cheese, avocado dip and delicious homemade brioche burger buns. Simply the best!

Hey there! I have a slightly obsession with healthy beet recipes, so here I am today, with a new beet recipe for you. Beets are such an incredible root vegetable, loaded with health nutrients, and very versatile too. Oh, and don’t you love their deep red-purple color? Beets always make a colorful healthy plant-based meal, which makes me ridiculously happy every single time. Eat the rainbow challenge is on!

Now if you consider that beets taste bland rather than anything, I’ve got great news for you. It’s a matter of seasoning! There are indeed many ways to prepare beets and I’m pretty sure there is at least one that will suit your own tastes, eventually. If not, try this deliciously sweet beetroot cake with vanilla frosting. Heaven. Depending on the recipes, beets can be pickled, grated, cubed, or even juiced.

3 easy ways to cook beets

One thing that often discourages us from using beets however, is the way to cook them. Should we rather roast them in the oven, boil them, steam them maybe, or use them raw in our recipes? Because beets are a root vegetable, they are quite dense in texture and almost always require a slow cooking process.

Roast them in the oven. The easy way to do so is to wrap raw beets in foil, and bake in the oven until cooked through. This process is to me the best way to lock in the flavor of beets. Alternatively, and to cut the baking time, you can cube the beets and place onto a baking sheet directly.

Boil them in water. Another easy way to cook beets consists in soaking them in water, bring to boil, and and reduce to a simmer until beets are fork tender. You want your beets to be tender, but not too soft or mushy. Immediately transfer beets to an ice water bath to prevent any additional cooking and allow them to cool faster. As soon as they are cool, peel the skin right off, and it’s ready.

Steam them. Steaming is similar to boiling. However, unlike boiling, the beets are not fully submerged in the water which prevents nutrients from escaping into the surrounding water.

For busy days, you can also buy some pre-cooked beets to spare you some time. It works equally well. For this specific recipe, I would recommend roasted beets for best results and bring a smokey flavor to your beet quinoa patties, but the other cooking methods work too.

Here’s what to expect in this burger recipe

I created this beet quinoa burger recipe based on ingredients I love and pair with each other, with the idea in mind to make my burgers wholesome too. I chose to make them vegetarian rather than vegan, as I find that the salty taste of cheese really adds something to the recipe.

• Beets (Obviously). I pulse them in a food processor until almost mashed. You want to keep some texture.
• Quinoa. It’s a wonderful source of plant-based protein.
• Feta cheese. Because cheese is salty, it cuts the sweetness of beets. You could use other cheeses to replace feta, such as goat cheese or blue cheese for instance.
• Eggs. They are the binder ingredient, and help the mixture to agglomerate.
• Rolled oats (or breadcrumbs). They help the burger to hold their shape. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free oats instead of breadcrumbs.

Both eggs and rolled oats/breadcrumbs play a key role in the shape of the burger patties, and you might need to adjust the quantity of each of them, adding one more egg if the mixture is too dry or more oats if too wet. To these ingredients, we add some seasoning ingredients.

You could them bake in the oven or on a frying pan. I personally prefer in the oven as it prevents the patties from sticking to the pan and/or the use of too much oil.

Last but not least, I use my favorite brioche burger buns recipe that I now use for all my burgers. Expect a rich, buttery texture with a sweet flavor. You could even use them as regular morning brioche buns!

Other plant-based burger + patties recipes you’ll love:

• Vegetarian Jackfruit Pulled-Pork Burger
• Sweet Potato Veggie Burger
• Portobello Mushroom Burger
• Goat Cheese, Lemon and Mint Quinoa Patties
• Spinach and Feta Quinoa Patties
• Red Lentil Patties

Last but not least and for extra flavors, make sure serve your burger with a side of homemade fries. My favorite recipes are the Sweet Potato Fries and the Garlic-Herb Potato Wedges. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Beet Quinoa Burger

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 60 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 burgers 1x
• Category: Savory
• Cuisine: Plant-based

Scrumptious vegetarian beet quinoa burger with feta cheese, avocado dip and delicious homemade brioche burger buns. Simply the best!

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Ingredients

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For the brioche burger buns (makes 6-8 buns):

• 1/4 oz (7g) active dry yeast
• 1.7 oz (50g) water
• 2.8 oz (80g) milk, lukewarm
• 10.5 oz (300g) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg + 1 egg for brushing
• 1.5 oz (45g) sugar
• 3.5 oz (100g) butter at room temperature, diced
• 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
• 2 Tablespoons black sesame and pumpkin seeds (optional)

For the beet patties:

• 2 cups (350g) beets, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup (90g) uncooked quinoa (or 1 cup cooked quinoa)
• 3.5 ounces (100g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2–4 Tablespoons rolled oats or breadcrumbs
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the avocado dip:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Fresh basil leaves (to serve)

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Instructions

For the brioche buns:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast into the water and the lukewarm milk.
2. Place all the ingredients except for the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on speed 1 for about two minutes. Add the salt. Mix on speed 4 for two minutes. Switch to speed 6 and mix until the dough becomes smooth and slaps the bowl.
3. Remove from the bowl and shape into a ball with your hands. Place into the bowl again and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
4. Shape the dough: divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Use your hands to flatten each dough portion. Fold the tips into the center, and repeat again from all sides, until you get a little pouch. Flip it over, trap the dough with your hands, press a little bit and roll it onto the countertop. It must stick to the countertop a little bit. Place each little ball onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with a cloth and let rise until the dough is strong and you feel the air inside, about one hour minimum.
5. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle some black sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds on top, and bake at 375°F (190° C) for about 15 minutes or until golden-brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and set aside.

For the beet patties:

1. Preheat the oven at 350°F (180° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
2. Bake the quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside.
3. Place the beet onto the baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
4. Place the roasted beets in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times – you need some texture for the burgers, so make sure you don’t mash them completely.
5. Transfer the beets into a large bowl, add all the other ingredients and stir to combine. If the texture is too mushy add more rolled oats or breadcrumbs until you obtain the desired consistency.
6. Using a measuring cup or your hands, shape the burgers and place them on a lined baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes on one side, then flip over and bake for 15 more minutes.

For assembling the burgers:

1. Mash the avocados with a fork, and season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and chili flakes.
2. When burger buns are baked, cut in halves, add the beet patties, and generously spread the avocado dip on top (and/or underneath). Sprinkle some basil leaves and serve immediately.

Family-Friendly, Quinoa, Sandwiches, Vegetarian, Year Round

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Vegetarian Beet Quinoa Burger, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

This recipe is created in partnership with Peugeot Saveurs SNC.