Sweet, earthy beets are one of the most versatile (and plentiful!) vegetables in our CSA. In early summer beets appear in our CSA shares with their greens attached – 2 vegetables in one! The greens are edible and perfect for sautéing. This brilliantly colored burger, is a perfect vegetarian option and still a flavorful meal for omnivores.
I paired this version with white beans and dill aioli, for a summery burger that could easily be enjoyed as a beet patty without the bun. A little research revealed beets to be a popular choice for a veggie burger! If you’re looking for something more burgery swap black beans for the white and smoked paprika for the dill. I’m definitely going to give that option a try, but these are simple and light, just what I was going for.
Your food processor is your best friend for this recipe. Grind the oats, shred the beets, then pulse together the mixture. No need to wipe out the bowl in between ingredients!
The key to veggie burgers that stick together, is to refrigerate the mixture before cooking. It takes a little planning, but if you’ve ever had them fall apart on you it’s worth the wait! Form these into thin even patties with your hands. I made 6 big burgers, but I think next time I’d go with 8 smaller size. It depends on how hungry you are and the size of your bread!
Beet Burgers
2 medium size beets
1 cup quick oats
2 cups cannelini beans or other white beans
2 cloves garlic
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 rolls or hamburger buns
lettuce, escarole, or other green
Dill Aioli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dried
salt to taste
Place the oats in the work bowl of a food processor, process on high until it resembles a coarse flour. Set aside.
Peel the beets, and chop into quarters so they’ll fit through the feed tube of the food processor. Change the blade to the shredding disk, and finely grate the beets. Set aside.
Change back to the regular blade, and place the garlic and dill in the work bowl. Process on high until the garlic and dill are minced. Add 1 cup of shredded beets, 1/2 cup of the oat flour, and the remaining ingredients then pulse until combined. If the mixture looks too wet, add more flour, but don’t process so much it becomes smooth like hummus. If necessary, transfer to a bowl and add additional flour by hand. Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour and up to overnight.
Divide the mixture into 6 – 8 one inch thick patties. Heat a thin layer of canola oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Cook patties about 3 minutes per side until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Whisk together aioli ingredients, taste and season with salt.
Assemble burgers, with aioli and greens on a toasted bun and serve.
*if you don’t have a food processor use store bought oat flour, and grate the beets by hand. Mash the beans before combining the ingredients, follow the rest of the ingredients as written.
