Beetroot, Dill & Quinoa Burgers
During summer, these burgers make a regular appearance on my retreat menus as they always go down a storm. I have been asked for the recipe so often that I’m sure many people will be glad that I have finally got round to adding it to my blog.
These beetroot burgers have a really chunky texture and aren’t your usual soft, squishy, fall-apart veggie burger. The key is the raw grated beetroot as when fried, it stays quite al denté rather than being cooked to mush. You could maybe even get away with doing them on the barbeque but to be honest I haven’t tried; let me know if you try though! Would love to know if they work.
When searching for new and interesting veggie burger recipes a year or so ago, I discovered this very burger recipe on the Cook Republic blog and have been using it in a number of different ways ever since. I find once you have a good base recipe, there are just so many endless combinations when it comes to making delicious healthy veggie burgers. I have swapped the quinoa for other gluten-free grains such as buckwheat groats or millet. Also when I struggle to find raw beetroot, I will swap it for grated carrot or other hearty root vegetables as the vacuum-packed, pre-cooked beetroots just don’t work for this recipe.
The fresh dill is a really key flavour for these burgers but I know it isn’t the easiest fresh herb to find. You can definitely replace it with dried dill which won’t have the same brightness to it but you still get that added aniseed/celery flavour along with the fennel seeds.
I decided to include my chimichurri cucumbers with this burger recipe as I don’t remember ever serving these burgers without them! The zingy, tangy dressing acts as a quick pickle for the cucumbers and brings a much needed acidity to the hearty burgers. Plus, I am of the opinion that any burger should always be served with pickles!
Serve these burgers with any of your favourite salads or side dishes. I will often do roasted potatoes or baked polenta fries along with a crunchy slaw, grilled veggies and a tahini garlic sauce.
BEETROOT, DILL & QUINOA BURGERS with chimichurri cucumbers
serves 6 • 45 minutes
for chimichurri cucumbers:
1 small cucumber
handful (~½ cup) parsley, finely chopped
small handful (~¼ cup) dill, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ lemon, zest & juice
pinch of chilli flakes
for the burgers:
olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g / 1½ cup cooked quinoa
450g / 15oz raw beetroot, grated*
1 tsp dijon mustard
handful (~ ½ cup) fresh dill, chopped
90g / ¾ cup buckwheat flour
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the diced onions, fennel seeds and minced garlic to sauté for a couple of minutes or until the onion is translucent. Transfer to a large bowl and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Add the remaining burger ingredients to the bowl including a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together into a homogeneous burger mix. Then set aside for 20 minutes while you prepare the cucumbers.
Prepare the cucumbers by slicing into thin circles or using a peeler to make ribbons, your choice. Add to a bowl. Make the dressing by adding the remaining pickle ingredients to a jar and giving it a good shake. Pour over the cucumbers and mix well to ensure they are all fully coated with the chimichurri dressing. Allow to marinade for at least 20 minutes.
With wet hands, shape the burgers into patties (~100g each). Lay out on a tray or plate ready to fry.
To a large non-stick frying pan, add a drizzle of oil and place over a high heat. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat and put a few of the patties in the pan making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan - it is better to fry them in batches.
Gently fry the burgers for 5-7 minutes on each side, making sure they get nice and brown on both sides. Transfer to a baking tray and keep them warm in a low temperature oven while you fry off the rest.
To serve, these burgers work great with or without burger buns. Simply serve with a generous handful of chimichurri cucumbers along with a selection of condiments and summer side dishes.
NOTES
* preparing beetroot is always going to be a little messy. I find the easiest way to get grated beetroot for this recipe is to leave the beetroots unpeeled (especially if they are organic) and to use the grater attachment on my food processor. Otherwise a large box grater will do the job.