This Beets A Burger! 🌞

The Best Vegan Seitan Burger



Just 10 ingredients to make the best homemade burger patty ever. Juicy, chewy, meaty, and holds up on the grill! Make these ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve. Then toss them on the grill or in a frying pan when ready to serve.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35minutes mins
Servings: 6 Burger patties
Author: Sam Turnbull

Ingredients

1 large (7oz / 200g) raw beet (about 1 cup), peeled and cut into chunks
½ cup cooked lentils (I used canned brown lentils)
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (sub any other nut or seed butter)
1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except for the vital wheat gluten to a food processor. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides until everything is mixed together into a mush.

Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough. Divide the dough into six and use your hands to form six burger patties. You could alternatively make mini patties for sliders!

Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the burger patties to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 minutes or until its internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine—you can't really oversteam seitan.

For the best shape: the burgers can become funny shapes if they are piled on top of each other so steam the patties in a single layer without overlapping, working in batches if needed, or you could use layered bamboo steamer baskets if you have them.

Once steamed, the burgers will look kind of funny at this stage, but don't worry! Allow the burgers to cool completely, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight before serving. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours, but overnight in the fridge is best- this ensures the best burger texture. They will keep fresh when covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or they freeze for up to 3 months.

To serve: steaming the seitan is what gives it the perfect texture. Once the patties are steamed and chilled overnight, you can basically treat them as if they were raw burger patties. Pan-fry them or grill them for a couple minutes per side until browned and heated through. Place on a bun and top with your favourite vegan burger toppings.

Notes

Oil-free: for the oil-free version, cook the burgers on the grill or in a good non-stick pan without added oil.

Freezing tips: once cooled completely in the fridge, transfer the burgers to an air-tight freezer container and toss in the freezer for up to three months. Before using, allow them to thaw completely and then cook with them as you like.

Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free.

Food Processor: if you do not have a food processor, you could follow step one and make the beet and lentil mush in a blender. Pour the beet mixture into a large bowl and then add the vital wheat gluten and mix by hand to form a dough.

Steaming tips: I recommend getting a steamer pot if you plan to make seitan often, or you can use a DIY method if you do not have a steamer. The burgers can become funny shapes if they are piled on top of each other so either steam the burgers in batches or use layered bamboo steamer baskets.

Cleaning tips: vital wheat gluten is very sticky and can destroy dish brushes and cloths. So what I like to do is save old clothes, sheets, or towels that are too shabby to donate, and cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean up after preparing a seitan recipe and discard the rag once finished.
Find it online:

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-best-vegan-seitan-burger/

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Best-Ever Veggie Burger



Ingredients

3 large red beets (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup brown rice (not cooked)
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans
1/4 cup prunes, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 teaspoons smoked paprika, to taste
2 teaspoons brown mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large egg (optional, leave out for vegan burgers)
Salt and pepper

To serve:

Thin slices of Provolone or Monterey jack cheese (optional for non-vegan burgers)

]hamburger buns

Instructions

First, cook the beets: Heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the beets loosely in aluminum foil and roast until easily pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cook the rice while the beets roast: Meanwhile, bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and add the rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice until it's a little beyond al dente. You want it a little over-cooked, but still firm (not completely mushy). This should take about 35 to 40 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside to cool.

Begin sautéing the onions when you're done with the rice (or during, if you're OK with multitasking!): Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir the onions every minute or two, and cook until they are golden and getting charred around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. A few wisps of smoke as you are cooking are OK, but if it seems like the onions are burning, lower the heat. A dark, sticky crust should develop on the bottom of the pan.

Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the cider vinegar and scrape up the dark sticky crust. Continue to simmer until the cider has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry again. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Process the oats in a food processor until they have reduced to a fine flour. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans and transfer the beans to the food processor. Scatter the prunes on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts just until the beans are roughly chopped — not so long that they become mush — 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl. Drain and rinse the second can of beans and add these whole beans to the mixing bowl as well.

Grate the roasted beets: Use the edge of a spoon or a paper towel to scrape the skins off the cooled roasted beets; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater. Transfer the beet gratings to a strainer set over the sink. Press and squeeze the beet gratings to remove as much liquid as possible from the beets. (You can also do this over a bowl and save the beet juice for another purpose.)

Combine the veggie burger mix: Transfer the squeezed beets, cooked rice, and sautéed onions to the bowl with the beans. Sprinkle the olive oil, brown mustard, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and thyme over the top of the mixture. Mix all the ingredients until combined. Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper, or any additional spices or flavorings to taste. Finally, add the oatmeal flour and egg (if using — it helps hold everything together, but isn't 100% necessary), and mix until you no longer see any dry oatmeal or egg.

Refrigerate the burger mix 2 hours, or up to 3 days: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the mixture to a refrigerator container, and refrigerate the burger mixture for at least 2 hours or (ideally) overnight. The mix can also be kept refrigerated for up to three days before cooking.

Shape the burgers: When ready to cook the burgers, first shape them into burgers. Scoop up about a scant cup of the burger mixture and shape it between your palms into a thick patty the size of your hamburger buns. You should end up with 6 large patties.

Cook the burgers: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer and a flick of water evaporates on contact, the pan is ready.

Transfer the patties to the pan. Cook as many as will fit without crowding; I normally cook 3 patties at a time in my 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If any pieces break off when you flip the burgers, just pat them back into place with the spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 4 more minutes until the patties are warmed through. If you're adding cheese, lay a slice over the burgers in the last minute of cooking.

Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.

Recipe Notes

Freezing Burgers: Burgers can be frozen raw or cooked. Wrap each burger individually in plastic or between sheets of parchment paper, and freeze. Raw burgers are best if thawed in the fridge overnight before cooking. Cooked burgers can be reheated in the oven, a toaster oven, or the microwave.

Grilling Burgers: While I haven't had a chance to try grilling these burgers, they are firm enough to do well on a grill, particularly if you cook them in a grill pan or other device. You may also want to add an egg to the mix to help the burgers hold together better.

from https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-best-ever-veggie-burger-96967

*****Thanks to the DUer who cited both beets, and the 1st recipe! *****