Vegan Beetroot Burger, Healthy & Delicious

THAT GREAT BURGER TASTE… BUT HEALTHY

They’re so many veggie burgers out there. Most lack the taste. The newfangled varieties, that try to imitate meat, have so many additives that they’re often extremely unhealthy. Strike a balance with a delicious beetroot burger. The ground up beets are combined with lentils, oats and a variety of flavours (chili, garlic, onions, etc.) to produce a brilliant burger. Top it with cheese and caramelised onions on a white bun, or serve it on a brown wholewheat roll with avocado and rocket for a truly healthy indulgence.

The colour of the beetroot really plays into the burger aesthetic. The lentils add that meaty texture!

Beetroot really is the most incredible vegetable. It is highly versatile and acts as the perfect foil in a veggie burger. Besides its vibrant colour, it offers a host of health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and inflammation in the body. Some points to note about the recipe;

• Once the beetroot is peeled and chopped , the burgers are relatively easy to prepare
• A healthier burger alternative – beetroot contains vitamin C, folate, magnesium and potassium
• All the ingredients are cheap and usually easy to source

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEETROOT

Looking specifically at its health benefits, beetroot has a large amount of nutrients with very few calories (generally 44 calories in an average serving). It contains vitamin C, folate, magnesium and potassium, with smaller amounts of vitamin B, phosphorus and iron. Studies have shown that beets significantly lower blood pressure up to 4-10mmHg over just a few short hours. It has also been associated with improved athletic performance, inflammation relief and improved digestion. Furthermore, the properties of this magical vegetable suggests that it may help support brain health and even has some anti-cancer benefits.

BEETROOT PREPARATION

Start by preparing the beetroot. The blood-red vegetable is notoriously messy, so it is best to wear rubber gloves if possible. Cut off the stalks, peel its bitter skin and chop 3 beetroot it into medium-sized pieces.

LET’S MAKE SOME BEET BURGERS

Place the raw beetroot chunks into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped or grated. Prepare 1/2 cup cooked lentils – this usually requires half the amount when raw. Alternatively, canned lentils can be used to speed up the process. Next, peel and roughly chop the onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Cut the stalk off 1 red chili and deseed if a milder burger is preferred. Place all the prepared ingredients into the food processor, along with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of fresh or dried parsley, salt and pepper to taste and 2 tablespoons of tahini. A mild peanut butter or almond butter could be used as a substitute. Pulse the mixture until well combined and a fine, mince-meat texture is achieved.

If you don’t have a food processor, the mixture can be made by grating the beetroot, mashing the lentils and finely chopping the remainder of the ingredients. Combine them in a bowl before forming it into four large burger patties. 

Now it’s time to construct the patties. This part can also get quite messy so it’s best to be well prepared. Start by flouring your work surface, as well as the outer side of the mixture. If the beet ‘mince’ is too wet, simply add more flour and combine. Wet your hands to avoid sticking and use wax/greaseproof paper if need be. Grab roughly 1/4 of the mixture, roll it into a ball and flatten into a patty. Flour the surface of the burger and allow them to rest on a tray while the other 3 patties are being formed.

COOK THOSE PATTIES

Once all four beetroot burger patties are formed, it is time to cook them! Pour 2-3  tablespoons of olive, canola or rapeseed oil into a frying pan. Wait until it’s reached a medium-high temperature and carefully place the patties into the pan. While it is tempting to flip them early, you want to leave them for approximately 5 minutes to ensure that they stay together. Only once this time has past, flip them to allow them to cook on the other side. A darkened, crispy crust should be achieved. Cook them for another 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow them to rest in the pan while preparing the rest of the burger ingredients.

SERVE, BUILD & ENJOY

The beetroot burger patties can be served as fritters with a variety of dips and meze. However, we will construct them as intended. Toast 4 buns in the oven and prepare your desired toppings. We decided to stay with the healthy theme, so chose to eat them on brown wholewheat rolls with onion, rocket and avocado. A great addition is our rustic Guacamole, that can be generously piled on top. Add some juiciness with vegan mayo, mustard and a slice of cheese. Give it a final sprinkling of salt and pepper, and tuck in!

The vivid colour of the beetroot, along with the meat-like texture of the lentils works really well. The onion, garlic, chili and seasonings pack a flovour punch. Besides the messiness of the beets and forming the patties, combining everything in the food processor makes this a relatively simple recipe. Get ready to enjoy a beetroot burger that is as healthy as it is delicious. A real joy to eat!

The Best Beetroot Burger

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The Zest Kitchen

Category

Sandwiches

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized beetroot, peeled
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 large yellow onion (or 1 small onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 red chili, deseeded if desired
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (and extra for forming patties)
• 2 tablespoons tahini or natural peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons dried of fresh parsley
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• To serve
• 4 burger buns (we used brown rolls)
• 1 avocado
• 1 yellow onion, caramelised
• 2 cups rocket or lettuce
• 4 tablespoons vegan mayo (1 table spoon for each burger)

Instructions

1. Prepare 1/2 cup cooked lentils. Alternatively use the canned variety (pre-cooked).
2. Peel and roughly chop the yellow onion and garlic. Cut the stalk off the chili; it can also be deseeded if a milder burger is preferred.
3. Peel and roughly chop the beetroot. This can be quite messy, so take care.
4. Place the beetroot into the food processor. Pulse it until grated or finely chopped.
5. At this point, the remainder of the ingredients can be added to the food processor - the cooked lentils, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup flour, the onion, garlic, chili, parsley and 2 tablespoons of tahini. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pulse until the mixture is well combined and resembles a mince-meat texture.
7. Empty the mixture onto a tray and form into patties. This is best done by rolling it into a ball and then flattening it. Flour the surface (as well as the outside of the patties) and wet your hands to prevent sticking.
8. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Once hot enough, carefully place the patties in the pan.
9. Don't be tempted to turn it too soon. Allow it to cook for approximately 5 minutes on a medium heat. Once it's formed a nice crust, quickly flip it. Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes on the other side. Turn off the heat and let it rest in the pan.
10. Prepare the burger ingredients. Toast the rolls, caramelise the onions, cut or mash the avocado and wash the rocket or lettuce.
11. Now it's time to build your burger, just as you like it! Enjoy...

6.2.9

https://thezestkitchen.com/beetroot-burger