This recipe is adapted only slightly from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian recipe for Hearty Winter Vegetable Burger. I used half walnuts for almonds, simply because Mister ate most of our almonds. And, as with many other general food categories (greens/herbs/beans), I find that nuts are largely interchangeable with variable, but delightful results. The second alteration from the original recipe is that I baked them in the oven instead of frying them on the stovetop. I avoid frying things on the stove top because it makes me grumpy and my kitchen greasy. I also think it’s a little less work over all to bake things.
I like this recipe because:
- It’s easy to do more than one batch at once. I usually do two batches at a time.
- It travels well and can be eaten many, many, many ways.
- It freezes well.
- It’s a perfect make ahead recipe that can be pulled out, warmed and eaten within ten minutes.
- It uses a lot of beets. And, I have a lot of beets.
- It’s delicious! Of course!
Baked Beet Veggie Burgers
Adapted slightly from the Hearty Winter Vegetable Burger from Mark Bittman’s, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 burgers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound beets, grated
- 1/2 packed pitted dates
- 1/2 almonds or walnuts
- 1 inch ginger, cut into coins
- 1/2 cup bulgur
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine beets, nuts, dates, and ginger in food processor and pulse until everything is well chopped but not a paste.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl, add mustard, bulgur, salt and pepper, and stir well.
- Add boiling water and stir, then cover bowl with a plate (or whatever) and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
- Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and shape the burgers into 8 patties (I use a burger press).
- Bake burgers for 30 minutes on the first side, then flip (very gently) and cook on the other side for 20 to 30 minutes until they are nice and brown and have some structural integrity.
Notes
Serve a top steamed greens with a little mustard (or lots of other ways).
These, while very tasty, can be crumbly. I use them for taco filling, and as an addition to soups, salads, and steamed greens or any other way you might use cooked ground meat.
Adding a tablespoon or two of bleu cheese to this recipe can also help with the binding and tastes great with the beets.