All-American Veggie Burger Recipes for a Healthy and Delicious Fourth of July

One Green Planet



Image Source: Black and White Bean Burgers

It's just not July 4th without a burger on your plate. What better way to celebrate this time of year than to change things up a bit by serving some veggie patties in stead of their meaty counterparts? Veggie burgers are versatile, easy to prepare, and SO much healthier than their meaty counterparts.

You are probably thinking a veggie burger is a burger, so why not get some frozen ones from the store? There are some pretty good options in the market and here is a great article that compares six popular, commercially available veggie burgers based on calories, total fat content, fiber, and protein.

However, when you make your own, you can customize the list of ingredients, and the combinations are only limited by your imagination. The compilation of recipes below speaks to the versatility and adaptability of the veggie burger. From beans to broccoli, there's something here for everyone!

Here is our list of 5 Must-Try Veggie Burger Recipes:

1. Baked Broccoli Burgers
This veggie burger is packed full of flavor and topped with homemade tahini sauce. In addition to being delicious, these Baked Broccoli Burgers are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as iron, calcium, magnesium and beta-carotene.



Baked Broccoli Burgers
Makes 4 burgers

Burger ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup dry couscous

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions

  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

  • 1 tablespoon sesame tahini

  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Tahini Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sesame tahini

  • 1/3 cup water

  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil.

  3. Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes, soaking up the water.

  4. While the couscous sits, steam the broccoli in a steamer for 5-7 minutes (or use a microwave or stove method, you just want the broccoli to be soft in the end)

  5. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens.

  6. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the cumin.

  7. Gather your couscous, broccoli, onion mix, chickpeas and sesame tahini and combine together in a food processor.

  8. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs.

  9. Form it into patties and place the patties on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

  10. Bake for 50 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. You'll know they are done when the tops begin to brown.

  11. To make the tahini sauce, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, roughly 30 seconds.

  12. Top your burgers with the sauce, throw some pickles, tomato and lettuce on there, and go to town!

Grilling option - To enjoy the burgers hot off the grill, first bake them in the oven, then move to the grill for 1-2 minutes on each side.

2. Mushroom Barley Grillers
This is one veggie burger for you to throw on the grill. This recipe has the extra step of steaming the burgers. Even though it's a bit more work (and foil), it almost always creates burgers that hold up to grilling, whether it is on an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan. When the burgers aren't falling into the grill, they get more of that smoky, hearty, true grill taste. It's worth it. Give it a try and see if you agree.


3. Eggplant Burgers
We give you...Baked Eggplant Burgers! These burgers are savory, filling and addictive. They're packed full of protein and vitamins. Above all else, they are delicious! Top them with tahini sauce and they are also fantastic when topped with hummus and dill pickles!

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4. Hearty Lentil and Brown Rice Burger
The challenge that we've found with many homemade bean burger patties is that they tend to quickly fall apart. The great thing about this recipe is that these burgers hold together surprisingly well. They are hearty, flavorful, and go well with BBQ sauce or any of your other favorite burger toppings. If you don't own a BBQ, they can be cooked in a pan on the stove-top for an easy weeknight meal.



5. Maple Sweet Potato Pecan Burgers
These Maple Sweet Potato Pecan Burgers are packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Iron and protein. The maple syrup and a kick of cayenne, combined with savory sweet potatoes, kale and pecans, results in a perfect balance of flavors. Serve these patties warm and save any leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.



This post was originally published on One Green Planet.

Enjoy more vegan, dairy-free, meatless summer recipes by One Green Planet on Yahoo! below:

1. 6 Easy Breezy Meatless Summer Salads
2. 25 Cool Summer Vegan Dessert Recipes. Hell Yeah!
3. 8 Amazing Ways to Use Coconuts This Summer (With Recipes!)
4. 15 UNBELIEVABLE Raw (No-Bake) Dessert Recipes for Summer
5. Wave the Flag with These Red, White and Blue Dairy-Free Desserts on 4th of July