Vegan burger options are often restricted to bland restaurant options or frozen store bought veggie patties. With this in mind, I experimented with multiple recipes to develop a flavorful, healthy take on the typical veggie burger. This spicy quinoa veggie burger packs a “kick” with southwestern and Indian spices along with a tasty Sriracha aioli. Full of healthy vegetables and protein-rich quinoa, these burgers are a hit with everyone in our house – including the kids!

As a variation, I also serve the quinoa patties as an appetizer with a roasted tomato and a dollop of homemade hummus on top. You can find the recipe here.

Recipe

Prep time:

Servings: 4, Makes 8 patties

Ingredients:

  • 1 can cannelloni beans
  • 1/2 cup white quinoa
  • 1/4 cup red quinoa
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup red pepper finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots shredded and drained
  • 4 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp oat flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Avocado oil

Burger Assembly Ingredients:

  • Whole wheat (substitute gluten-free buns if preferred)
  • Cucumbers sliced
  • Tomatoes sliced
  • Arugula
  • Avocado sliced
  • Micro greens
  • Sriracha Aioli (see recipe below)

Sriracha Aioli

  • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Mix everything in a bowl and whisk until combined.

Directions:

Quinoa Patties

  • Cook the white and red quinoa separately (you can find the quinoa recipe here). Let it cool down.
  • Wash the Cannelloni beans nicely and then let the water drain. Add them to a bowl. Mash them with a masher.
  • Now add both the cooked quinoa to the bowl, red onions, red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cilantro, and all the spices to the bowl.
  • Add the lemon juice and oat flour to the bowl (add additional oat flour if the mixture is still wet)
  • Taste the mixture now and check for salt (add chili if you prefer a spicier kick).
  • Separate the mixture into 6-8 parts and form patties.
  • Place a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of avocado oil in it.
  • Cook the patty for 2-3 minutes each side until crispy on both sides.
  • Serve hot.

Burger Assembly

  • Toast buns until lightly crispy
  • Build on top of bottom bun in this order: arugula, quinoa patty, tomato slices, cucumber slices, avocado and micro greens
  • Smear Sriracha aioli on inside of bun top and combine burger
  • Enjoy!

This recipe has been adapted from Simple Veganista