What is more American than a juicy burger, except for maybe baseball, hot dogs and apple pie, and I would argue about that… Well these burgers may not be traditional in that they are plant based, primarily quinoa and pinto beans and they get their lovely color from raw shredded beets, but they can definitely go head to head with a beef burger. I thought these were really good, especially with the pickled red onions, butter lettuce, a little avocado, mustard and mayo, boom! I could eat these once a week!






- Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa according to directions. Pour into a large bowl to cool.
- While quinoa is cooking, thinly slice red onion and place in a bowl with rice vinegar and water. Cover and refrigerate until burgers are ready for serving.
- Mash pinto beans with a wooden spoon until mostly broken down but not completely smooth and add to quinoa.
- Peel raw beet with a sharp knife on a plate to save your cutting board from staining. Shred or grate in a food processor, mandolin or box grater. Add to quinoa mixture.
- Add breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, salt, and paprika and mix until well combined.
- Form mixture into six thick patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. (You may be able to skip this step if you are in a hurry)
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add three patties and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and patties.
- Place cooked patties in buns and serve with pickled red onions and your other favorite toppings.
Beet Veggie Burger
- Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa according to directions. Pour into a large bowl to cool.
- While quinoa is cooking, thinly slice red onion and place in a bowl with rice vinegar and water. Cover and refrigerate until burgers are ready for serving.
- Mash pinto beans with a wooden spoon until mostly broken down but not completely smooth and add to quinoa.
- Peel raw beet with a sharp knife on a plate to save your cutting board from staining. Shred or grate in a food processor, mandolin or box grater. Add to quinoa mixture.
- Add breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, salt, and paprika and mix until well combined.
- Form mixture into six thick patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. (You may be able to skip this step if you are in a hurry)
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add three patties and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and patties.
- Place cooked patties in buns and serve with pickled red onions and your other favorite toppings.