Ready for a juicy, hearty, flavor-packed veggie burger that’s super pretty to boot? These vegan beet burgers bursting with color and flavor, and topped with a balsamic glaze that adds zip and a touch of sweetness.
I find most veggie burgers to be lacking in the veggie department. Most of them are just made of beans! How can you call that a veggie burger?
Well, the thing is, you kind of need beans to hold the burger together. As I discovered a few years ago when making my first attempt at cooking up a beet burger. They totally fell apart and I was so sad.
So yeah, you need beans to make a veggie burger. But that’s no reason not to put some veggies in there too, right?
Actually, bean/veggie mixes are my favorite types of veggie burgers. I do this all the time: white beans + kale, white beans + artichoke hearts, and black-eyed peas + a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and now beets + black beans. Which is an awesome combination because it makes not only for a super hearty, super delicious burger, but also one that’s really pretty, don’t you think?
Balsamic vinegar and dill are two of my favorites ingredients for seasoning up beets on their own, so I decided to use them to season my burgers too. The zippy flavors go so nicely with the sweetness of the beets.
You’ll start by making a balsamic reduction. Simmer some balsamic vinegar and brown sugar until it gets thick and syrupy. While that simmers away you can prep everything else.
All of the burger ingredients go into the food processor, along with a little bit of your balsamic reduction. Pulse it away until everything is finely chopped (but don’t let it turn to mush).
Shape the patties and grill them for a few minutes on each side. For the finishing touch, you’ll drizzle the burgers with a bit of the balsamic reduction and cook them for another minute or so on each side.
I topped my burgers with some cashew cream cheese with some garlic and dill added in, but you can use your favorite vegan cheese or mayo if you prefer. You’ll probably have some of the balsamic reduction left over, so pour that on the patties or drizzle it on your greens if you like.
Tips for Making Perfect Balsamic Beet Burgers
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and buns.
- Panko breadcrumbs can be substituted for the oats if you like.
- The patties are freezer friendly. I recommend just cooking up as many as you need and then freezing the rest of the burger mix. When you’re ready, thaw, shape and grill. They’ll taste just like they’re freshly made.
- Use a good quality balsamic vinegar. It makes a huge difference!
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Balsamic Beet Burgers
Ready for a juicy, hearty, flavor-packed veggie burger that's super pretty to boot? These vegan beet burgers bursting with color and flavor, and topped with a balsamic glaze that adds zip and a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup organic brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded beets (about 1 large beet)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons canola oil, or another high-heat oil
For Serving
- 6 burger buns
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion slices (I sautéed mine)
- Cashew cream cheese (I bleneded some raw garlic and dill into mine)
Instructions
Begin by making the balsamic reduction. Stir the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower heat and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is about as thick as chocolate syrup, about 15 minutes.
Remove the balsamic reduction from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.
Place the oats into a food processor bowl and blend to a coarse powder.
Add the beans, beets, onion, garlic, dill, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the balsamic reduction to the food processor.
Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped and well combined.
Taste test the mixture and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Lightly oil a medium skillet and place it over medium heat.
Shape the beet mixture into 6 patties and arrange as many as you can in the skillet without overcrowding.
Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of the balsamic reduction over each patty. Flip and drizzle the opposite sides. Flip again and cook for a few seconds before removing the patties from the skillet.
Cook any remaining patties in the same manner, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.
Stuff the patties into buns and top with toppings of choice. Drizzle with some of the excess balsamic reduction if you like.
Serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include toppings.
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