{ Beet + Black Bean Burger }

Bring these babies to your next backyard BBQ for a vegetarian twist! Bright, earthy beets are the star in this delicious summer meal. Here at the farm our beets come in multiple colours (we grow red, gold, and white varieties) so you get to enjoy a beautiful rainbow of this sweet, earthy veggie to make the perfect burger meal. 

If you are like me, you batch cook your bunched beets when you bring them home, so they are ready and easy to use in recipes and salads all week. How to do it? See below. (And don’t forget to save those beet greens too! They are a nutritious, leafy addition to salads, smoothies, or as substitute for swiss chard or spinach in recipes. Simply remove and discard stems, tear up leaves, and store them in an airtight bag in the refrigerator.)

How to batch cook beets:

Cut off leafy tops leaving a small portion of stalks at the base (don’t slice the actual beet or juices will bleed out), leave skin and root on, and place whole beets in a pot of water. Bring to boil. Boil until fork tender (30-45 min depending on size), then remove from heat and allow to cool. Run under cold water, if desired, to speed up the cooling process. Slice off tops and bottoms and skins will slip right off to reveal those brightly cooked beets ready for use. Slice, chop, grate or puree the peeled beets, and store in refrigerator until ready for use in your salads, sides, smoothies, purees, or in these tasty beet burgers!

Shout out to Jessica Musslewhite of MUSHROOMS & THYME blog, for creating this delish recipe and images for us. We love all her veggie creations for our CSA members and food community here, and we are excited to be stepping into another abundant season on the farm!

Beet, Mushroom & Black Bean Burgers

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb  cooked beets, roughly chopped (about 3 medium beets or 1 large)
  • 1 can black beans (398 ml), drained and rinsed
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • neutral oil for grilling

Instructions

  • Place beets, onions and mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the black beans and pulse until the mixture is well-combined and small chunks of beans remain.
  • Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well. Roll the mixture into six large patties or eight medium patties.
  • On a cast iron or skillet, over medium heat, grill the burgers for 5-7 minutes per side until the center of the patties feel firm.