Summertime is vegan quinoa burger time. Although I love my Beet Burger and my Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger, I like burger variety. Since I'm a huge quinoa fan, I decided me make a vegan quinoa burger.
Since I am trying to avoid eating a lot of bread, I decided to make a vegan quinoa burger recipe I can eat with or without a bun. That's why I had a ton of fun with my toppings for this vegan quinoa burger recipe.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COLORED QUINOAS?
Typically, white, red, and black quinoa are readily available at most grocery stores. Even tri-colored quinoa seems to be making an appearance on the grocery shelves as well.
Believe it or not, there are 120 known varieties of quinoa, according to the Whole Grains Council. But what’s the difference between the different colors and varieties?
White quinoa, for instance, is the most common quinoa. Tan in color, this quinoa is usually used to replace rice in dishes. Gluten-free and 100% complete protein, quinoa have a nutty flavor and lighter texture. Like rice, white quinoa tastes somewhat neutral, ad most people prefer to cook with white quinoa.
Despite being mistaken as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed; when cooked takes on the shape of couscous.
However, my favorite quinoa by far is red quinoa, which is bold, colorful, and earthy in flavor. I absolutely love the vibrant color in salads and bowls next to vegetables.
On the other hand, black quinoa is much like red quinoa in its texture and bolder flavor. Again, black quinoa is beautiful in a salad or bowl and brings an added pop of color.
Tricolor quinoa, another beautiful and colorful seed, brings a variety of quinoa together in one bag.
WHY EAT QUINOA? NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The nutritional benefits of quinoa, however, are impressive. According to Healthline, this is the nutrient content in 1 cup (185 grams) of cooked quinoa (2):
- Protein: 8 grams.
- Fiber: 5 grams.
- Manganese: 58% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
- Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
- Phosphorus: 28% of the RDA.
- Folate: 19% of the RDA.
- Copper: 18% of the RDA.
- Iron: 15% of the RDA.
- Zinc: 13% of the RDA.
- Potassium 9% of the RDA.
- Over 10% of the RDA for vitamins B1, B2, and B6.
- Small amounts of calcium, B3 (niacin), and vitamin E.
This comes with 222 calories, with 39 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fat. It also contains a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
If you need help making the perfect quinoa, How to Cook Quinoa can help!
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEED FOR THE VEGAN QUINOA BURGER?
- Canned Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
- Red Quinoa
- Chickpea flour
- Aquafaba (canned chickpea fluid)
- Orange, red, and yellow peppers
- White onion
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley
- Jalapeno (optional) for those who like it spicy
Even though I used my Kitchen Aid Food Processor, this recipe can be made by crushing the chickpeas with a fork.
First, I pulsed the chickpeas to chop them up. Then, I added the quinoa, chickpea flour, aquafaba, and nutritional yeast.
Once combined, I poured the contents into a bowl and added the sauteed vegetables and parsley.
The vegan quinoa burger mixture may appear grainy when mixed, but the aquafaba will bind the burgers.
As with all my burger recipes and my Vegan Crab Cakes, I use my Cuisinart Burger Press to form perfect patties. Again, vegan quinoa burgers can be made with your hands. It is important, however, to make them equal size, so they cook equally.
Because I meal prep, I make vegan quinoa burgers ahead of time and place them in the refrigerator until it's time to cook.
Then, it is simply a matter of cooking vegan quinoa burgers. For instance, my husband prefers a bun with his quinoa burger, and I prefer it without. Regardless of how you like your vegan quinoa burger, the toppings are my favorite part of making a burger fancy.
For this particular quinoa vegan burger recipe, for example, I served with tomato, grilled fresh pineapple, and Simple Rosemary Infused Pickled Red Onions, which are my favorite.
OTHER SUGGESTED TOPPING FOR VEGAN QUINOA BURGER
- Raw white or red onion
- Avocado
- Vegan Cashew Mayo
- Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Caramelized onions
- Jalapenos
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Guacamole
- BBQ sauce
HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES BURGER AND BBQ RECIPES
- Beet Burger
- Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger
- BBQ Tofu
- BBQ Tempeh
- BBQ Jackfruit Recipe
- Tempeh Kabobs
- Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
- Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Sandwich
Vegan Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained, but keep the fluid and set aside
- 1 cup cooked quinoa I used red quinoa
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ½ aquafaba chickpea canned fluid
- ½ cup white onion
- ½ cup red, orange and yellow bell peppers (or choose one color)
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Other Ingredients (Optional)
- 4 slices fresh pineapple grilled
- ½ cup pickled red onions
- 1 hot house tomato sliced
- Hamburger Buns whole grain or gluten-free
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to how to Cook Quinoa Directions.
- Saute garlic, diced onions, and peppers until onions are translucent
- Drain the chickpeas but keep the aquafaba (chickpea fluid) and set aside
- Place the chickpeas in a food processor with a large blade and push until chickpeas are chopped finely. This can also be done by smashing the chickpeas with a fork.
- Add 1 cup cooked quinoa, chickpea flour, and aqaufaba.
- Pulse again until add ingredients are combined
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add sauteed vegetables and parsley.
- Stir well to combine.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a burger press or your hands, form four identical patties.
- Cook for 30 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven, serve on a bun with your favorite toppings, or skip the bun and eat with a fork. The choice is yours.
Notes
OTHER SUGGESTED TOPPING FOR VEGAN QUINOA BURGER
- Raw white or red onion
- Avocado
- Vegan Cashew Mayo
- Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Sauteed mushrooms
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Lynne
I have been on the hunt for the 'perfect' vegan burger since my adult son and I have been transitioning to a mostly plant based diet. Perfect for us is something that doesn't fall apart, is tasty and has a decent texture WITHOUT strange ingredients. We have Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers in the freezer for when we feel we have meat cravings (it works!), so I don't need to replicate that. You wouldn't think that this would be so difficult to find...
Well these came out better than any I've tried so far! My son is recently diagnosed as celiac (thank you so much - so tough finding vegan recipes without wheat gluten), so I appreciate the fact it fits our requirements. Goofed and didn't cook the onions and peppers. Don't have a food processor, so I pulled out my old (clean and unused for a long time) meat grinder to chop the chickpeas. Followed your directions to cook the quinoa, and they turned out great!
You cannot imagine how happy I am to have found this! Thank you!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi, Lynne, I'm so glad you liked the quinoa burgers. We love burgers at our house. You should try the beet burgers and the tofu burgers if you enjoy tofu. Thank you so much for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any other recipes. It helps me come up with new ideas!
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