These veggie burgers have been sitting in the back of my mind for months! Months! I started making a mental list of all the ingredients that would produce the perfect veggie burger. Then, I’d get distracted and forget all about them….only to have them pop back into my mind at totally inconvenient times, like during my Monday morning meeting at work.
The fine folks at Udi’s Gluten Free are responsible for finally making these burgers happen (thank you!). They reached out to me a couple weeks ago to see if I’d be interested in sampling their perfect-for-bbq-season hamburger buns and hot dog rolls. My very first thought was – yes! these buns will be perfect for my veggie burgers!
Imagine my excitement when a massive box found its way to my doorstep filled, not just with buns, but a sampling of Udi’s full product line up! We’re talking rolls, buns, bread (I’m totally into the millet chia!), cookies, brownie bites (to.die.for.), muffins, tortillas, flatbread.
Here’s the deal, I don’t follow a gluten free diet but I know a lot of people that do, and I’m sure there are a lot of readers that are gluten-free. I love developing recipes for my gluten free friends and when I have the chance I love sampling the gluten free products they’re into.
There are 3 crucial components to great veggie burger…
(1) It must be full of fresh vegetables (bonus points for lots of color!) A great veggie burger is packed with fresh vegetables, whole grains and more fresh vegetables! No one wants to eat a veggie burger that’s all filler and no veggie…it totally misses the point.
(2) It must be full of flavor! Please don’t confuse no meat with no flavor. Go crazy with fresh herbs and spices!
(3) It must stay together until the very last bite! There’s nothing more disappointing than a burger crumbles to pieces after the first bite, or worse, while it’s still cooking.
I love adding quinoa to anything and everything, so it’s no surprise that the base of this burger combines cooked quinoa (I love using tri-color quinoa) and mashed black beans. Freshness and flavor come from a colorful mix of lightly sauteed shallot, red pepper, sweet summer corn, carrot and chopped cilantro. This veggie burger shapes up to be a meaty, nutritious protein-packed patty, that stays together until the last bite.
And, like any good burger, you can’t forget the toppings and toasted buns! My absolute favorite topping for this burger (aside from my standard leafy green, sliced tomato and avocado) is whipped feta. Holy cow! Have you tried it yet? It’s even more sensational than it sounds, and sends this burger over the top.
I had a hard time deciding whether to have my burger on an Udi’s Classic Hamburger Bun or a hearty Whole Grain Bun. Simple solution….I had one of each! If I bit into these buns without knowing they’re gluten free, I would have never been the wiser. These buns are thick, soft, super bread-y and hearty enough to stand up to the meatiest of burgers.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 medium ear corn, shucked
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Sliced Tomato
- Red Onion
- Sliced Avocado
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, sweat until fragrant and soft, without obtaining any color, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in pepper, corn and carrot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the black beans. Add the remaining black beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add the sauteed vegetables, quinoa, reserved black beans and cilantro. Mix to fully combine. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, as necessary.
Stir in the eggs and cornmeal.
Form the mixture into patties. Place on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate for t least 30 minutes (this helps the patties stay together during cooking).
Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to the pan, without crowding & working in batches if necessary, and cook 7-10 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook another 7-10 minutes on the other side.
Add crumbled feta to a food processor and pulse until small crumbs remain. Add in cream cheese and puree for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides when necessary, until feta is super creamy.
Place burgers on your favorite buns. Spread a healthy portion of whipped feta on top of the burger and add your favorite toppings!
Notes
Whipped Feta from How Sweet Eats
Disclaimer: I was given an assortment of Udi’s Gluten Free products for review. I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions are of my own.
Enjoy!
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