southwest veggie burger mixThere are many, many veggie burger recipes and books with recipes for meatless burgers, so why the motivation to hunker down and make my own? Determination. Every time I attempted making a veggie burger it did not have the right consistency.  It fell apart. It was too wet or not the right flavor. Armed with Southwestern cuisine flavors, I created this veggie patty that pleased both the Spouse and my inner chef. The Spouse advised, “Make the patties smaller, but don’t change the flavor!”

The flavors are spot on, the consistency excellent, and the good news is that they can be stored in the freezer and then cooked in the toaster oven (if you are only making a few of them at a time). I thought this a plus since there’s only two of us and we can conserve energy by not turning on the big oven.

Serve these patties with a side of citrus coleslaw or hearty potato salad and all the condiments: pickles, onions, lettuce. They can be wrapped up in a tortilla or served on a big toasty bun. I prefer my patties wrapped up in some lettuce or kale.

When shaping these patties they can also be made into sliders, weigh them out to one ounce instead of four ounces. It will take a little longer and require more rolling and shaping, but it’s worth the work when you see the guest’s reaction to that perfect veggie slider on a serving platter.

Southwestern Veggie Burgers
A Southwestern spiced quinoa black bean and chickpea patty that can be made into full size "burgers," or into sliders. These will make any cookout rock.
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Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. ½ cup cooked black beans, drained
  2. ½ cup cooked chickpeas, drained
  3. ½ cup cooked quinoa
  4. ¼ cup finely chopped onions
  5. ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
  6. 1 cup walnuts, crushed
  7. 1 tbsp chili powder
  8. 1 tsp ground cumin
  9. 1 tsp ground coriander
  10. 1 tsp powdered ginger
  11. 1 tsp powdered garlic
  12. ½ tsp jalapeno powder (optional)
  13. ½ cup quinoa flour
  14. Salt to taste
  15. 1 tsp white pepper
Instructions
  1. Place the black beans, chickpeas, onions, and carrots in a food processor. Process until the ingredients are just chopped and blended.
  2. Save some of the whole black beans to add into the mixture for texture.
  3. Turn out into a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  4. Test by cooking one in a pan on the stove top in a little oil or in the toaster oven. Adjust the flavor as needed.
  5. Use a scale and weigh out the patties. Four ounces work for a regular sized veggie patty; one ounce is perfect for a slider. Pat and shape. Use parchment or wax paper between each patty.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
  7. Cook in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Flip, and cook for another five minutes.
Notes
  1. Feel free to add other vegetables to these patties like corn kernels or peas.
Kitchen Shaman http://www.kitchenshaman.com/