These mildly flavored burgers are vegan, gluten-free, and nightshade-free, and they make a great vehicle for all the extras that make burgers delicious. They are simple, easy to prepare, and cook on the stovetop. The burgers are fine reheated after a day or two in the refrigerator or up to several weeks in the freezer.
It’s surprising how much the moisture content of beets and carrots varies: sometimes this burger mix is very wet and we add more cornmeal, other times we’ve added up to ⅓ cup water to make the mix moist enough to form patties. Because there are no eggs or flour to bind the mix—the patties are raw—you may wonder if they’ll hold together as burgers, but once they’re cooked, they’re firm patties. The first flip of the burgers can be messy, but follow our directions and you’ll end up with firm burgers that are so moist inside.
Yields 8 burgers
Prep time: 25 minutes
Stovetop cooking time: about 25 minutes
2 cups packed shredded peeled raw beets
1 cup packed shredded carrots
⅓ cup minced onions
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup packed shredded kale or other greens*
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
¼ cup finely ground cornmeal (more if the mix is too wet)
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, for pan-frying
*To shred kale, strip the leaves from the large central stems. Pile the leaves on a cutting board. Gather the kale into a tight mass and, using a sharp knife, thinly slice it.
In a bowl, mix the beets, carrots, onions, oats, and salt. Stir in the cilantro, kale, garlic, if using, and cornmeal. Set aside for 15 minutes or up to a couple of days in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to cook, if the mixture is too wet to easily shape into patties, stir in more cornmeal a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture is too dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until it holds together.
Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on low heat. Using a dry measuring cup, scoop out ½-cup portions of the mix and shape into burger patties with your hands, placing each patty in the skillet as you go. Tidy up the edges and if a burger cracks when you put it in the skillet, press it back together.
Cook the patties for about 10 minutes on the first side. The heat should be quite low: check the bottoms and lower the heat if scorching begins. Flip the burgers, tidy the edges if they crumble, press down on the top with the spatula to compress, and cook for about 8 minutes until the bottom is becoming crisp. Flip over onto the first side (this time the burgers should hold together well) and cook for about 5 minutes to brown. Let the burgers rest for a few minutes before serving.
The burgers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for several weeks. Reheat frozen burgers in a lightly oiled skillet on low heat, a few minutes each side.
Make a delicious Beet Burger sandwich with Minted Mayo or Herb-packed Mayo (see here), mustard, or Russian dressing; plus thinly sliced cucumbers, avocados, or tomatoes; and baby greens, arugula, or shredded lettuce.
Beet Burgers alone, without the bread and all the extras, are good next to Mushroom Barley Salad or Orzo Risotto, perhaps with a vegetable side of Asparagus Cacio e Pepe–Style or Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Apples.
MINTED MAYO
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or scallions (optional)
HERB-PACKED MAYO
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup minced fresh basil
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or scallions
Stir the mayonnaise and mint or herbs together in a small bowl or a jar. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. The mayonnaise will keep, refrigerated, for about a week.