Beet and Chickpea Burgers with Feta and Tahini

Let me describe the state of my kitchen the day I decided to experiment with beet burger recipes. A big bowl of chopped beets, a row of bowls filled with black beans, white beans and chickpeas. Another row of bottles from where I'd basically emptied out my spice cabinet. I had curry powder, smoked paprika, cumin, dried oregano and garlic powder. Representing the fresh herbs from my fridge were scallions, chives and parsley. And finally I had spoons and bowls for mixing various combinations because these were going to be the best beet burgers I could make.

Because beets are naturally sweet, they are a good foil for all the strong spices I chose and none of them were wrong, exactly. But ultimately the chickpeas won the bean category and I preferred the fresh taste of the parsley. Some recipes call for eggs, some don't but it's a good binder and I wasn't trying to make a vegan burger. Feel free to use some tahini sauce as the binder if you do want to eliminate the egg.

Fried or baked is up to you but I went with baked and topped with crumbled feta and tahini because those things make me happy. These beet burgers made me very happy, too, and they're going to be making me happy lots more times in the future. Enjoy!

by Hungry Couple

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

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Ingredients (4 Servings)

• 1/4 Cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 Cup water
• 1 Cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 large beet, peeled
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup breadcrumbs
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• Tahini Sauce:
• 1/4 Cup sesame paste
• 6 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the sauce by combining the sesame paste, water, lemon juice and seasoning in a bowl and whisking until smooth and thoroughly combined.

To make the burgers, add the quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for an additional 5 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and allow the quinoa to cool slightly.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the beet to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles rice. Spoon it into a separate bowl. Add the chickpeas the the food processor and repeat the process. Add the shallot to the food processor and pulse a few times, then return the beet and chickpea mixtures to the food processor.

Add the cooked quinoa, breadcrumbs, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. At this point you can still taste the raw mixture for seasoning. When you're happy with it, add the egg and pulse until the mixture comes together.

Divide into 4 equal patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate or freeze the uncooked patties for later. Serve on your favorite bread or roll and top with crumbled feta cheese, greens and tahini sauce.

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