Grain-free & Vegan Veggie Burgers

This is a grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free veggie burger that is not meant to taste like meat. Filled with lots of vegetables and even more flavor, enjoy these on Meatless Monday or any day of the week. They are a little more complicated than some of the other recipes, but the effort is well worth it.

 

*Makes 10 Patties

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ medium head cauliflower, cored and chopped into

small pieces (about 3 cups chopped)

½ medium yellow onion, chopped into small pieces

(about 3/4 cup chopped)

1 stalk celery, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and shredded

(about 1 1/2 cups shredded)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed soaked in 2 tablespoons warm

water—let sit for 10 minutes)

 

Method

HEAT THE OLIVE OIL in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until just tender. Add the sweet potato and garlic to the pan. Mix the veggies thoroughly and then add the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well and allow the veggies to cook for 5 minutes more, until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the veggie mixture to cool.

 

WHILE THE VEGGIES are cooling, grind the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in the bowl of a food processor, making sure not to over process. Pour the seed mixture into a separate bowl and mix in the ground flaxseeds. Set aside. Next, place the veggie mixture in the food processor and pulse the veggies until all of the larger chunks are gone. Add in the seed/flax mixture and pulse a few more times. Finally, add the flax egg and pulse until the mixture is well combined. Be careful not to over process.

 

PREHEAT THE OVEN to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1⁄3 cup of the mixture in your wet hands and form a ball. Place the ball on the parchment paper and form into a ó-inch-thick round patty. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. (If too moist, place the mixture in the freezer for 5 minutes.)

 

PLACE THE BAKING SHEETS in the oven. Remove after 15 minutes and flip the patties carefully with a spatula. Return them to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the burgers are golden brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the patties cool for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftover patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

NOTE: The patties can be reheated in a toaster oven.

Recipe by Elise Museles of Kale and Chocolate. First appeared in The Microbiome Solution (Penguin 2015).