Thank you, Lipton, for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
These vegan pumpkin burgers are packed with hearty pecans, toasty spices, and topped of with creamy hummus and a dollop of apple relish!
At some point over the summer I became my family’s designated veggie burger provider for all get-togethers. We seem to have just this year tipped the balance in favor of veggie burger eaters over conventional burger eaters, which has me happy. I couldn’t be more psyched about my new role as vegan burger chef.
But alas, summer is over, as is burger season. Not. There’s always room in my heart for a good old veggie burger, regardless of the time of year! So now that we’re into October, I went and reimagined the trustee veggie burger, and totally fall-ified it. I also invented the verb “fall-ify.” I’m on quite a roll.
I went with pumpkin as my featured fall veggie burger flavor, not just because it’s awesome, but also because everybody loves pumpkin, and I’m on a mission to keep tipping those veggie burger scales until I’ve won everyone over (ahem, Dad). One thing I discovered over the summer during my veggie burger escapades is that nuts lend an awesome texture to veggie burgers, and when I think of fall and nuts I always think of pecans, so in they went. I topped everything off with some hummus and apple-pomegranate salsa. The result was burgers that are unmistakably fall-inspired, but also have a hint of a Mediterranean vibe.
I served up my burgers with freshly brewed Lipton iced tea, which is obviously a perfect match for a summer veggie burger, but also great with the mixture of fall flavors in these fall pumpkin burgers. I always love the flavor of tea with warming spices, which these burgers have plenty of, and I also love it with bright fruity flavors, like pumpkin and apple, both of which are front and center in this dish. The family-sized teabags are perfect for brewing a big batch that’s perfect for burger gatherings.
For more fall meal-brightening inspiration, including everything from recipes to tips on how to make fancy-pants ice cubes check out the Food Network’s Bright Bites page.
Nutty Pumpkin Burgers with Apple Relish
Ingredients
For the Nutty Pumpkin Burgers
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil, for grilling
For the Apple Relish
- 2 apples, your favorite variety finely diced
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or more for extra tartness
- salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- 4 to 6 burger buns
- 4 to 6 lettuce leaves
- hummus I recommend my roasted garlic hummus
Instructions
- Place onion, garlic, beans, breadcrumbs, pumpkin puree, pecans, cumin, cinnamon and ginger into food processor bowl and pulse until finely chopped and well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shape into 4 to 6 patties.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a skillet and place over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, arrange patties in skillet and cook until browned on bottoms, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook about 4 minutes more, until browned on opposite sides. Add oil to the skillet between batches, as needed, and repeat until all patties are cooked.
Make the Apple Relish
- Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
- Stuff buns with patties, and top with lettuce, hummus and apple relish. Serve.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton. The opinions and text are all mine.
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