Make-Ahead Veggie Burgers

These are the BEST veggie burgers ever.  And they are so much better for you and cheaper than the ones you can buy in the store. They do have a lot of ingredients and take a bit of time to put together; however, they keep well in the freezer and then cook up quickly whenever you want them.  Also, they don't fall apart and have a great texture!  Awesome!  The recipe makes 12, so that's quick dinners a bunch of times, or lunches if you want something different.

Once you combine all the ingredients in a big bowl (get your hands in there!), you will divide the mixture into 12 equal parts (a bit less than 4 ounces each).  Then you will shape each into a patty and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.  Freeze until solid, then store in a freezer bag until ready to use!  Yum.
Our favorite way to eat these is on buns (this is a great option if you are looking to make your own) with BBQ sauce and mustard.  We like kale chips and spicy sweet potato fries on the side.  If you're not feeling like having bread, these are also great on a salad or on a pile of roasted veggies.















Make-Ahead Veggie Burgers

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• Flax eggs: 1/4 cup ground flax + 3/4 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
• 1.5 cup oats, processed into flour (use your food processor)
• 2.25 cups bread crumbs (process 3 pieces of bread until it creates a fine crumb)
• 1.5 cup grated carrots (use a grater or the grater attachment of the food processor)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and roughly mashed with a fork
• 1/2 cup finely chopped kale
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoons cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons oregano
• 1.5 teaspoons parsley
• salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon each)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Mix the two ingredients for the flax eggs together in a small bowl and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  (A flax egg mimics the properties of a real egg, but is vegan.  It acts as a binder in these burgers.)

2) In a small skillet, saute onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until light brown, about 5 minutes.

3) Place all ingredients (except salt and pepper) into a large mixing bowl and mix well with your hands.  Add seasonings to taste.  You can taste the dough because it has no eggs, and you should to see if it tastes good to you!

4)  Divide dough into 12 equal parts.  They should each be about 3.8 ounces if you have a scale.  Shape tightly into patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.

5)  Freeze for about an hour until frozen solid (alternatively, you could make some or all of them at this point instead of freezing).  Then, take patties off the baking sheet and place into a freezer bag.  Store in the freezer.

6) When ready to eat, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Defrost the frozen burgers in the microwave on low power until no longer frozen (or, if you think ahead, take them out of the freezer and put into the refrigerator the morning you will want to eat them).  Cook patties in the skillet for about 5 minutes on each side, until brown.

7) Serve on buns with toppings of choice and sides of choice (sweet potato fries and kale chips are our favorites) or over a salad or a pile of roasted veggies.

(recipe very slightly adapted from Oh She Glows-- I appreciate all her hard work in developing this awesome recipe!!)