After months of trial and error I have finally found my favorite veggie burger and all it took was a little quinoa. If you haven’t discovered quinoa yet, it is a grain like crop grown for it’s seeds. It’s actually not a grain at all but closely related to beets and spinach believe it or not. Packed with protein, magnesium and iron this nutty flavored seed is perfect for toddlers, kids, and insane marathon/ultra runners like my husband. These burgers have now become a favorite in this house but I warn you it took awhile for Mia to get used to it. I had mixed results with kids when I handed this recipe out to a couple of friends. 3 out of 6 kids loved it and the other 3 were habitual fast food hamburger eaters and couldn’t get over the “different” burger. As for the adults, it’s a hit. A delicious and healthy way to eat your veggies and quinoa.
Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers with Snow Pea Slaw serves 4
for the slaw
- 2 cups snow peas
- 3 carrots
- 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed (1 orange)
- 1 Tbs + 1tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- pinch salt and pepper
for the burgers
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 sweet potato (to equal 1 1/2 cups shredded)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray
Rinse the quinoa. This is very important as quinoa is coated with saponin, a resin-like substance that is extremely bitter. It’s NOT toxic just bitter. I like to use 1/4 cup black quinoa and 1/4 cup white just to make it interesting. You can use whatever color you wish.
Bring water to boil in a pot. Once the water is at a boil, add rinsed quinoa and cover. Lower heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until all the water gone and quinoa is cooked. Allow to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking, chiffonade (thinly slice) the snow peas. Set aside.
Peel and shred the carrots and set aside with the snow peas.
In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and salt and pepper. Whisk until combined. Set aside until the burgers are finished and you are ready to serve.
Now on to the “burger.” Peel and shred the sweet potato. You should have about 1 1/2 cups shredded.
Place the shredded sweet potatoes on a towel, paper or fabric, and squeeze out the excess water that the sweet potato holds.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa and sweet potato.
To the quinoa/sweet potato, add the beaten egg and stir.
Add bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and mix well.
With your hands, form “burger patties.” These will be about 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture each.
In a griddle or large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the burgers on and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the burgers are golden brown on both sides.
Place the snow peas and carrots into the dressing and toss to coat.
Serve the quinoa sweet potato burger on a bun or alone topped with the snow pea slaw.
Like I said, some kids love it and some kids aren’t to sure about it but all I know is that in this family we have to cook it often! So often in fact I’m already starting to crave the slightly sweet and nutty burgers again. Hope you enjoy.
Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers with Snow Pea Slaw serves 4
for the slaw
- 2 cups snow peas
- 3 carrots
- 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed (1 orange)
- 1 Tbs + 1tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- pinch salt and pepper
for the burgers
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 sweet potato (to equal 1 1/2 cups shredded)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray
Rinse the quinoa. This is very important as quinoa is coated with saponin, a resin-like substance that is extremely bitter. It’s NOT toxic just bitter. I like to use 1/4 cup black quinoa and 1/4 cup white just to make it interesting. You can use whatever color you wish.
Bring water to boil in a pot. Once the water is at a boil, add rinsed quinoa and cover. Lower heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until all the water gone and quinoa is cooked. Allow to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking, chiffonade (thinly slice) the snow peas. Set aside.
Peel and shred the carrots and set aside with the snow peas.
In a large bowl, combine the orange juice, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and salt and pepper. Whisk until combined. Set aside until the burgers are finished and you are ready to serve.
Peel and shred the sweet potato. You should have about 1 1/2 cups shredded.
Place the shredded sweet potatoes on a towel, paper or fabric, and squeeze out the excess water that the sweet potato holds.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa and sweet potato.
To the quinoa/sweet potato, add the beaten egg and stir.
Add bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and mix well.
With your hands, form “burger patties.” These will be about 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture each.
In a griddle or large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the burgers on and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the burgers are golden brown on both sides.
Place the snow peas and carrots into the dressing and toss to coat.
Serve the quinoa sweet potato burger on a bun or alone topped with the snow pea slaw.
Meredith Steele is a professional recipe developer, food writer, food photographer, lover of sock monkey slippers and good whisky, and author of Steele House Kitchen, a food blog celebrating creative and fresh foods. Her recipe development and photography company, MBS Recipe Development, specializes in multimedia recipe development for commercial and small business.
I love how colorful the ‘burgers’ are. My husband might ACTUALLY eat this veggie burger, he’s like the fast food kids who can’t get over the ‘different’ burger idea. Their loss ;)
hahaha! Love it. There are all types of quinoa out there. You can mainly find black, white, yellow and red. Let me know if you try it and if he tries it!
I love all the ingredients in these. We will have to try them.
The burger looks very inviting … love the play of colors and textures. Am motivated to make one of my own.
I’m going to a BBQ party this week and the hostess and her family are vegetarians. Guess what surprise I’ll be bringing for them! Fantastic!
Hope they like them! Thy’re on the menu for this week here too!
Made this tonight; was fresh and tasty! The slaw in particular was delicious; would be great on its own as a side salad. The burger turned out well, but it was a tad bland if not eaten with the slaw. Thanks for the recipe though, it was inspiring!