Veggie Quinoa Burger
Ingredients
- ½ cup tri-colored quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 small red onion, sliced and divided
- ¼ red bell pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lemon, juiced, divided
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 1 ounce fresh spinach, chopped and divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 large avocados
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 4 whole grain buns (toasted if desired)
Directions
- Rinse your quinoa well, then add to a medium pot with water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking, add ½ red onion, bell pepper, white beans, and smoked paprika into a food processor and blend until it’s fairly smooth, but with a few chunks. I
- n a large bowl, mix together the bean puree, cooked quinoa, half of the lemon juice, flax meal, ½ ounce chopped spinach, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until well-incorporated and it sticks together.
- Allow mixture to rest white the oven preheats to 400°F. When the oven’s ready, divide the mixture into 4 sections, then shape into patties.
- Baked on a greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Flip and bake another 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, make your avocado mash.
- Mash together avocados, the remaining lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Assemble burgers with remaining spinach, ½ red onion, tomato slices, and avocado mash. Enjoy!
| NUTRITIONAL INFO (just the patty) | PER SERVING |
|---|---|
| Calories | 200 (20 from fat) |
| Total fat | 2.5g |
| Saturated fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 330mg |
| Carbohydrate | 36g (7g dietary fiber, 3g sugar) |
| Protein | 9g |
| NUTRITIONAL INFO (whole burger) | PER SERVING |
|---|---|
| Calories | 430 (130 from fat) |
| Total fat | 15g |
| Saturated fat | 2g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 710mg |
| Carbohydrate | 66g (16g dietary fiber, 8g sugar) |
| Protein | 15g |
I often eat vegan or vegetarian meals, and I’ve had veggie burgers that were bland, boring, and either too chewy or too crumbly. I wanted something that was not only was nutrient dense, but also held together well and was was delicious, too! When I decided to take a crack at this quinoa version, I worried about the taste and consistency. However, these problems were quickly solved with puréed beans and flax meal—they keep the patties together nicely.
Quinoa is naturally gluten free and is a great way to add protein to these vegan veggie burgers. It is also a way to boost your intake of fiber, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc. Something incredible about quinoa is that it is one of the only plant foods that is considered to be a “complete protein”. A complete protein is one that contains a good amount of all nine of the essential amino acids. The nine essential amino acids are considered essential, because our body cannot produce them, so we must consume them. Quinoa also has a higher amount of antioxidants compared to other gluten-free grains.
Flax meal is used as an egg substitute in this recipe. It’s main role in is to help stick everything together and to keep this recipe vegan. It’s also a great way to add in some omega-3 fatty acids.
The white beans in this burger not only help keep everything together, but they also provide protein, fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, B-vitamins, folate, and iron. Phosphorus is used to help the formation of bones and teeth, and it also plays a role in helping the body use protein for growth, maintenance, and cell and tissue repair. If you’re following a plant-based diet, it’s difficult to get enough iron, and the type of iron in plant foods, non-heme iron, is harder to absorb than heme iron. Studies have shown that pairing iron with vitamin C may allows better absorption.
Back to flavor—with added veggies and spices, this veggie burger is anything but bland, as well as being a nutrient powerhouse!
WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.
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