Alan and I were in San Francisco last December and ate for the first time at a restaurant called The Plant Cafe. It was really good and Alan has been talking about their house-made veggie burgers since. I remember taking this shot of my lunch and thinking that the burgers was made with beets:
I mainly remember being freezing and trying to get warm on that cold, drizzly day:
I found another blogger’s re-creation of the same burgers here, but I decided to try my own, grain-free version last night. I started with five medium red beets:
I just washed them and trimmed off the ends:
Which I then put through the shredder function on my food processor:
I ended up with about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded beets:
I then put in the food processor about two cups of cooked chickpeas and added that to the beet mixture. Lastly, I processed about two cups of mushrooms with some garlic, sesame seeds, spices, coconut aminos and a bit of water. The final burger mixture looked like this:
Rather than fry the burgers like they did at the restaurant, I baked them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes on each side. Before the oven:
And after, served with some salad, onions, broccoli and kiwi:
I love that these burgers are just beans and vegetables which makes them filling in a good way. I think Alan was slightly disappointed in them compared with the restaurant version, but how could these possibly stand up to burgers that were probably made with a lot of salt and fried? He suggested adding onions to the mix which I will do with my leftovers tonight.
I really liked them and think they make a nice alternative to my Outrageous Tofu Burgers or my Lentil Mushroom Burgers.
The recipe:
Beet-y Veggie Burgers – Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients:
5 medium beets, shredded in a food processor (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded beets)
1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans drained and rinsed)
10 medium mushrooms (about 2 cups chopped)
5 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion (optional)
1/4 cup sesame seeds (or your choice of nuts)
1 teaspoon each ground cumin, oregano and chili powder
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup water (or enough to moisten burger mixture)
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or low-sodium tamari or soy sauce)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. I find it easiest to shred the beets in a food processor and put them in a large bowl. Then, use the food processor in stages to mix up the other ingredients. I processed the chickpeas and added them to the beets and then used the food processor another time to mix up the mushrooms and other ingredients. Use your hands or a big spoon to finally mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Form patties with your hands and bake on a non-stick baking sheet for 20 minutes per side.
Life is starting to settle down after the emotional time I had last week. I’m juggling my three classes pretty well and making enough time for my volunteer positions (read about them in my updated “About Carrie” page here!), exercise, blogging and food shopping and preparation. Last night I also had over an hour to do some reading before settling in to finish a Netflix movie (The Scent of the Green Papaya) with Alan. Life is good!
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I am so glad you recreated these! Last year I had one at Plant Cafe, dining solo, and immediately tweeted “Best Vegan Burger Ever!!!” Can’t wait to try your recipe!
I’m not sure if they’re a re-creation, more of an inspired version. But, the beets were really nice in the veggie burger!
my husband went to The Plant TWICE while we were at Foodbuzz. He raved about the food; since we’ll be in San Fran in March I hope I finally get to try it!
Hi Lynn! I went to the one on the Embarcadero and the atmosphere was lovely (an old renovated building with tons of style). I’ll be back there in April…too bad I’ll miss you!
I’ve never tried a beet burger. I found I love the color of beets. I might have to give these a whirl. Is there any substitute for flax meal?
Hi Paula, you can leave out the flax meal, but they might not stick together as well. You could try using an egg replacer instead (Bob’s Red Mill makes a version).
I do have Ener-G egg replacer. I am going to pick up some beets this weekend if I can find any that look good.
THey look great Carrie!
made them yesterday, pretty much following the recipe (unusual for me!) – they turned out great! didn’t need any water to hold them together, they were moist enough from the beet juice. served with a rubbed kale salad with dijon&miso dressing. delicious! thank you for a great meal!
Hi Susan! I’m so happy you liked the burgers! I love when I get feedback on my recipes, it’s nice to know other people like them as well.
Hi Carrie! I’m thinking of making these, and maybe even w/a bun. Do you have any suggestions on condiments? We don’t use ketchup or mayo, and since I’ve never tasted a beet burger before, I’m lost when thinking of a “sauce” that would pair well with it. What about your tahini sauce?
Hi Ginny, if you’re feeling lazy, a dollop of veganaise would be delis. Otherwise, some tahini mixed with lemon juice or vinegar would be amazing, too. Let me know what you think!
Thank you!!!!
Thanks Carrie! I’m making them this week, and I’ll let you know!
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