This recipe creates what may be referred to as the sweetest and most moist veggie burger I’ve ever eaten. When I first looked at the ingredients, I didn’t even want to attempt to put anything together. They looked strange and I felt as though the final burger would fall apart. Then, I thought to myself, “That’s what I always do. I skip right by the not-so-simple looking recipes and go for the more mainstream ones.” Well, not this time. This time, I made the burgers, ate the burgers and enjoyed the burgers.
The Recipe
I’d like to say there are a few ingredients in this recipe that stand out above the rest, but I don’t think that’s the case. Almost all of them stand out. The honey and apple offer the sweetness, the edamame, sunflower seed and sesame seed add a lot of the texture and the brown rice holds things together. On the flavor side, there’s soy sauce, extra-virgin olive oil and ground black pepper. Combined, everything makes a burger you’ve never eaten before. And most likely a burger you’d like to eat again.
Ingredients
Makes: 6 Burgers
6 Burger Rolls, Toasted
3 Ripe Plum Tomatoes, Sliced Lengthwise
3 Dill Pickles, Sliced Lengthwise
Greek Yogurt Sauce (see recipe)
2 Tablespoons Hulled Raw Sunflower Seeds
1 Teaspoon Raw Sesame Seeds
1 Cup Frozen Shelled Edamame
2 1/2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
1 1/2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
1 Large Apple, Peeled, Cored and Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Brown Rice Flour
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Regular Olive Oil for Cooking
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Lukas Volgar and his cookbook called Veggie Burgers Every Which Way for another awesome burger recipe. This one didn’t disappoint and I’m looking forward to the rest included in his book.
Toast the Sunflower & Sesame Seeds
In a small skillet, over medium heat, toast the sunflower and sesame seeds separately. The sunflower seeds should take about 5 minutes to finish. You’ll need to constantly swirl the seeds in the pan so they don’t burn. Cook until they begin to lightly brown.
The sesame seeds should take only around 3 minutes, cooking the same way. When finished, add both seed types to a small bowl for later use.
Cook the Edamame
I purchased a microwavable bag of edamame. There aren’t many options for something like this to choose from. The instructions I had on the bag told me to microwave the edamame for 3 minutes. I did that and they were ready to go. If I had loose edamame, I’d probably place them in boiling water for a minute or two until they softened up. Follow whatever instructions you have on your package to cook them.
Add Ingredients to Food Processor
Add the flax seed, 3 tablespoons of water, toasted sunflower and sesame seeds and edamame to your food processor.
Run for about 10 seconds until everything is well combined.
Mix All Ingredients
Add the ingredients from the processor to a large bowl. Then, add in the rice, apple, flour, honey, soy sauce, extra-virgin olive oil and ground black pepper. Mix well.
Cook Burgers
Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of regular olive oil. Then, using a 1/3 cup measuring device, measure out 6 burgers. Shape them about 3/4 inch thick and then add three at a time to the warm pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side and then, very carefully with a fork or spatula, flip each burger and cook the other side for the same amount of time. You should get a sear like this:
That sear is what’s going to hold the burgers together. I had pretty good luck with mine because I was very careful when flipping them. You could also bake them if you want. I’d say 10 minutes at 425 degrees would be about good.
When the first three are finished, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the final three.
Plate & Serve
Add the burgers to their rolls. Then, add two pickle slices and two tomato slices, topped with about a tablespoon of yogurt sauce to each one.
The Final Burger
The best thing about this burger is that it’s not critical to cook it all the way through. It’ll be warm to taste, but there’s nothing dangerous, like eggs or meat, that you need to worry about. This fact keeps all that moisture in and believe me when I say it, it tastes awesome. Give it a try!
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