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    You are here: Home / Sandwiches / Garlicky Kale Burgers

    LAST UPDATED: January 28, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 28, 2016

    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    These satisfying vegan kale burgers are made with a flavorful mixture of white beans, crunchy sunflower seeds and lots of garlic. They're as delicious as they are healthy.

    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    I couldn't let July 4th go by without posting at least one veggie burger recipe, and this is just about the veggiest of veggie burgers. I post a lot of veggie burger recipes, but not a whole lot of them are actually veggie burgers.

    These are some serious veggie burgers.

    They're big, green and full of kale. They're delicious though! It's about time if you asked me. I realized that over the last year or so I hit a bit of stride with sharing vegan comfort food recipes, and my burger recipes have been no exceptions. Falafel burgers. Guac and chips burgers. Meatloaf burgers. Can you blame me? They're all reasonably healthy though, so no biggie. But I did figure though it was time to share something seriously veggiefied, so here you go. I'm giving you my kale burgers.

    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    You know what too? Kale burgers are just as hearty and sloppy good as all those other burgers I've been sharing. They're green, but whatever. Kale is delicious, and even more delicious when mixed up with lots of garlic, white beans, basil, and crunchy little sunflower seeds.

    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    I wondered if adding kale to my burgers might mess with the texture or make them not hold together, but I think it actually helped, because these were super sturdy, with a fantastic bite. I'm betting they'd even withstand some grilling, but if you go there be sure to put down a layer of foil, just to be safe.

    Garlicky Kale Burgers
    Close Up of a Vegan Kale Burger
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print

    Garlicky Kale Burgers

    These satisfying vegan kale burgers are made with a flavorful mixture of white beans, crunchy sunflower seeds and lots of garlic. They're as delicious as they are healthy.
    Course Sandwich
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 515 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    • ½ lb. curly kale, about 1 small bunch or ½ of a large bunch
    • 1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 to 1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
    • ½ cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced (or more, if you want your burger very garlicky!)
    • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • oil, for grilling

    For Serving:

    • 4 to 6 burger buns
    • 4 to 6 lettuce leaves, or a few handfuls of shredded lettuce
    • 1 large tomato, sliced
    • 1 medium onion, sliced (I like mine sautéed too)
    • vegan mayo

    Instructions

    1. Clean and remove stems from kale, then tear the leaves into 2 inch pieces. Place into a steaming device of your choice (stovetop or microwave), and steam until leaves are just wilted and bright green, about 5 minutes.
    2. Place kale leaves into food processor bowl, along with beans, 1 cup panko, sunflower seeds, basil, garlic and lemon juice. Pulse a few times until well blended, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add up to an additional ¼ cup of panko if mixture seems too soft. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
    3. Shape the mixture into 4 to 6 patties.
    4. Lightly oil the bottom of a medium skillet and place over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, place patties into skillet and cook until browned on bottoms, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on opposite sides, about 4 minutes more.
    5. Stuff into buns and top with toppings of choice. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information includes lettuce, tomato, onion and 1 tablespoon of vegan mayo.

    Nutrition Facts
    Garlicky Kale Burgers
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 515 Calories from Fat 122
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13.6g21%
    Saturated Fat 1.8g9%
    Sodium 1001mg42%
    Potassium 892mg25%
    Carbohydrates 69.8g23%
    Fiber 11.8g47%
    Sugar 6.8g8%
    Protein 18.2g36%
    Calcium 200mg20%
    Iron 7mg39%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. PinchofPositive says

      June 28, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      YUMMO! I will most certainly try these. Have you tried the Smokey Spinach Bean Burgers from Thug Kitchen? They are amazing, too and I have made them with Kale as well (even though I was also worried about the taste difference) but it was delish! Thanks for this, will Comment Back with my results.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 01, 2016 at 9:47 am

        I haven't, but they sound great. I love anything with smokey flavors! I hope you enjoy these! :)

        Reply
        • ALTA MALONE says

          March 23, 2018 at 3:40 pm

          5 stars
          I HAVE A QUESTION IS THE CALORIE COUNT INCLUDING BUN? OR IS IT JUST BURGER?

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            March 25, 2018 at 9:40 pm

            It does indeed include the bun. Thanks for the question! Enjoy!

            Reply
    2. Chelsey says

      June 28, 2016 at 10:22 pm

      These look so delicious! I've got a bunch of kale in the fridge that needs using up and now I know just what to do with it.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 01, 2016 at 9:47 am

        Perfect! Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Maria Lape says

      June 29, 2016 at 11:47 am

      These look wonderful! Love your roasted garlic white bean & artichoke veggie burgers. Would I be able to sub in flat leaf kale? I am not a big fan of the curly kale.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 01, 2016 at 9:48 am

        I think flat leaf kale would work. I almost went with that myself, so I'd love to hear how it works out if you try it. :)

        Reply
    4. Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says

      June 30, 2016 at 9:53 am

      I'm always looking for new vegan burgers for the summer. These look so tasty and healthy! I'm all over "the veggiest of veggie burgers"!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 01, 2016 at 9:52 am

        Thanks Mary Ellen! I'm all about veggie burgers during the summer too! :)

        Reply
    5. Aimee says

      July 02, 2016 at 11:31 am

      These sound so good! Anything with kale, you can count me in!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 05, 2016 at 9:47 pm

        Me too!! Thanks Aimee!

        Reply
    6. Erin says

      March 09, 2017 at 10:31 pm

      Omigosh, Alissa, these were delicious. I had to put them through my lame-ass food processor in batches, but it worked out fine in the end. In Canada, they mostly have 19-ounce cans of beans, and because I didn't want to save such a tiny bit, I used them all and added a bit more lemon juice. Everyone loved them. Thanks for the recipe (again)!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 12, 2017 at 9:47 pm

        Thanks so much Erin! I'm glad they were a hit!

        Reply
    7. Lilu says

      June 11, 2017 at 4:14 am

      This! I made this recipe tonight and this is why cooking was invented, haha. Amazing.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 11, 2017 at 10:39 am

        I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks Lilu!

        Reply
    8. Cathy says

      August 03, 2017 at 6:30 pm

      Great recipe! I used the flat kale and it was fine. I am. It a kale fan but did like these burgers.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        August 03, 2017 at 6:30 pm

        *not a kale fan

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          August 06, 2017 at 8:35 pm

          I'm glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks Cathy!

          Reply
    9. Marcia says

      November 19, 2017 at 6:11 pm

      Every since I discovered this recipe, I've been dying to make it. Yesterday, the magic day finally arrived & WAS IT WORTH THE WAIT! Without a doubt, these are THE best burgers I've every had, thank you! Just their fragrance alone made me crazy. Instead of a bun, I found the largest leaves of red leaf lettuce I could, wrapped them in it with red onion & vegan mayo & mustard and was in hog heaven! They were perfect: messy, full of flavor and so magical, I had another one for lunch today! Don't tell anyone, but my husband put our dinner away last night (he had a poisonous pizza) and when I pulled out the bag of burgers, one was missing! Evidently he enjoyed it too!!! Thank you, once again, for providing me with a magical meal full of flavor. I've got 3 more to go and my mouth is watering already! One question, is there a non-flour, in any form, substitute for the Panko bread crumbs? I'm on a quest to find vegan burgers that are flour free - be it oats or bread. Not having much luck so far. Alissa, you are THE best! Thank you! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to plotting dinner!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 21, 2017 at 9:08 am

        Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!! And that sounds like a delicious way to serve them! Usually what I do when I want to avoid flour or panko in a burger recipe is put some rolled oats in the food processor and grind them up. Does that count as flour if you're making it yourself? :) Using the oats whole can work too, but I find this method is a bit hit or miss because they sometimes don't soak up enough moisture to keep the burgers sturdy.

        Reply
    10. Tanja says

      December 07, 2017 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      These are insanely good. I couldn't even disrespect them with a bun.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 08, 2017 at 10:24 am

        Yay!! I'm glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    11. Kay Baker says

      July 23, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      4 stars
      I just made this recipe this morning, I wanted it alll ready ahead of time because I knew I was going to be busy later in the day. Tasted the raw mix in the food processor and it seemed a bit salty - really, it’s been many years since I’ve over salted something. I turned around and there was my kale still in the steamer. All was not lost, I chopped the kale separately and then folded it into the mix. Salting is now just fine. Raw mix tastes great.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 27, 2018 at 4:54 pm

        Glad to hear it! I hope you enjoyed the burgers!

        Reply
    12. Jade Nguyen says

      October 20, 2018 at 11:03 am

      May I ask if I can make them and store them in a fridge? So like those days when I'm lazy I just take them out and warm them. By the way great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 21, 2018 at 11:32 am

        Yup! I'd say no more than 2-3 days in the fridge though, and freeze them if you want to keep them around longer. :)

        Reply
    13. Natalie says

      July 17, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      Could I sub sunflower seeds for hemp seeds? I'm going to try and make the recipe tonight!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 21, 2019 at 10:55 am

        I think that would work! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    14. MichelleS says

      April 29, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      will this keep in the fridge or freezer and for how long? I plan to do a meal prep. thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 02, 2020 at 5:07 pm

        They should keep in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

        Reply
    15. Karen says

      July 05, 2020 at 3:58 pm

      I have a bunch of kale in the garden, just waiting to be eaten, so this looks perfect! However, I don't have any cannellini beans. Wondering if anyone has tried this with chickpeas, which I always have on hand.
      Looking forward to trying it. :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 06, 2020 at 8:30 am

        I haven't tried the recipe with chickpeas, but I think they'd work just fine. Enjoy!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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