Grilled Beet Burgers

A while back someone asked me if I missed eating meat. All fellow vegetarians probably recognize this question. It seems to be one of those inevitable questions that you get every now and then. Since I haven’t tried it for the past 17 years, my answer is always the same: “I actually don’t even remember how it tastes. So no, I don’t miss meat. Not the least, actually”.

We love vegetables. Not only eating, we love everything about them. How they grow from the earth. How they differ depending on the season. How they can vary vastly in color, shape and flavor. And how all these different colors from the different vegetables add different nutrients to our body. It all feels so natural. So obvious. This is how it is supposed to be. Vegetables should be the central part of the plate. Not just a side dish.

So when you ask me if I miss meat. I should ask you; don’t you miss vegetables?

This beet burger is a great example of a vegetable focused dish. The flavor and texture of the beetroot is essential and affects everything in the burger. You could probably replace it with zucchini and carrots and it would also be awesome, but completely different. Another taste and another texture.

Here we have served the burger in a dark sourdough walnut bun from our favorite bakery. But we also often wrap it up in a cabbage leaf. Or serve it between to pieces of dark danish rye. If you want a dairy free burger you can replace the feta with tofu. Or you could do these Beetroot & Millet Burgers that we posted waaay back. If you want an entirely vegan burger you could always make our Portobello & Peach Burgers. Or try this awesome recipe by Laura from The First Mess.

On a different subject. We have randomly selected 20 winners in our ebook giveaway. Here they are:

Mimi from Slovenia. Agathe from Paris, France. Francesca from Australia. Daniel from Italy. Purvi from Mumbai, India. Arla from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Trish from Ireland. Beata from Prague. Djoeke from the Netherlands. Clare from Adelaide, Australia. Paula from Venezuela. Andreia from Portugal. Tova from Toronto, Canada. Johanna from Sweden. Erica from Los Angeles, USA. Henry from Hong Kong. Natalie from Johannesburg, South Africa. Ana-Maria from Rumania. Som from Thailand. Andrea from England.

Congratulations to all of you (we’ll send you an email with the promo code really soon, hopefully tonight)! And a big thank you to everyone for participating. If you didn’t win but still want to download the book. Here is a link to iBookstore. And Kindle/Amazon.

Beetroot & Feta Burger
Makes 6-8 burgers, depending on the size

3 cups / 750 ml grated raw beetroots (approx. 4-5 beets)
1,5 cups / 375 ml / 150 g rolled oats or flakes of your choice
1 small onion
7 oz / 200 g sheep’s feta cheese or firm tofu
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
2 organic eggs
1 handful fresh basil
Salt/pepper

Toppings:
lettuce or cabbage
mango
avocado
tomatoes
onions

Peel and grate beets, onion and garlic on a box grater or use a food processor with the grating blades attached. Place the grated vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, eggs and rolled oats and mix everything well. Add sheep’s cheese or tofu, basil, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside for about 30 minutes, so the oats can soak up the liquid and the mixture sets (this step is important for the patties to hold together). Try shaping a patty with your hands. If the mixture is to loose, add some more oats. Form 6-8 patties with your hands. Grill the beetroot burgers a couple of minutes on each side – or fry them in a frying pan by heating a knob of coconut oil or ghee and fry until golden on both sides. Serve with grilled sourdough bread and toppings of your choice.

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Fresh Summer Rolls

146 Comments

d'liteful cravings
23 Jul ’13 at 05:03
What amazing colours! The burger looks gorgeous and sounds absolutely delicious! So inspirational, both food & photography!
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Francesca
23 Jul ’13 at 04:49
Thanks so much for the book guys! I've dived in already and am LOVING it. So happy to win this gem.
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Maureen
23 Jul ’13 at 04:34
I'm asking myself why I've never eaten a beet burger - these look fantastic.
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kim
23 Jul ’13 at 02:43
yum! can't wait to try these! any thoughts on what to add if i don't eat feta or tofu??
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Winnie
23 Jul ’13 at 02:42
Gorgeous burgers!!! I eat meat, but these look delicious.
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michelle
23 Jul ’13 at 02:27
I made these tonight for dinner. Doubled the recipe and used 2 cups of ground oats in place of 3 cups whole. Added 2 jalapeños and wow! what a great veggie burger! My husband loved it and I made a burrito with one for his lunch. Thanks for another fab recipe.
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Chiara
23 Jul ’13 at 01:14
Very timely! I am eating something beetrooty after reading the health benefits of this amazing root! Apparently they also diminish wrinkles!! Beets feel like cellular nourishment for me!!! And the colour and flavour is just so earthy!! Thank you!
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Katie @ Produce on P
23 Jul ’13 at 01:04
This post made me smile :) The burgers are beautiful and look delicious! I'm vegan though, so no milk or cheese or eggs for me!
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HEIDI
10 Mar ’14 at 18:41
Me too! Great VEGAN variations mentioned above! You can still enjoy :) Flaxmeal – 1 TBSP ground flaxmeal to 3 TBSP water = 1 egg Plus, you are adding some healthy Omegas as well. Chia seeds are also an option, as well as mashed potatoes, or cooked oatmeal, so many options available for vegan substitutes.
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Harriet
22 Jul ’13 at 23:47
Yum...these look divine! I can almost taste that earthy beetroot flavour now. The colours in the shots with the made-up burgers are gorgeous!
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Maria
22 Jul ’13 at 23:46
Can I freeze them?
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Green Kitchen Stories
23 Jul ’13 at 00:30
Hi Maria, yes I suppose you could either freeze them before or after they are grilled/fried. I would probably freeze them before, for the best result. Good luck, David
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Kasia
8 Oct ’17 at 23:27
Hi Maria! Have tou been sucessfull in freezing the burgers? If tes. Before or after grilling them? Thank you!
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Christopher
9 Oct ’17 at 08:41
Hi Kasia, I've frozen the beet burgers and it didn't work! The amount of moisture increased after freezing so they broke up. Perhaps if cooking direct from the freezer may work - best of luck, Christopher
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Eleanor F
16 May ’18 at 15:10
Hi Kasia, I know you asked a while ago but for you and others that want to know I freeze these each time I make them and they freeze beautifully. I freeze before cooking and initially put them on a slice of greseproof paper on a baking tray in the freezer. Once frozen I put them in a freezer bag and just take them out on the morning Zi want to use them - perfect!
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Viki
22 Jul ’13 at 23:13
I have a question for you; have you ever had trouble keeping your haemoglobin and red blood cell levels normal? i have been a vegetarian on a off for over a year but have ended up returning to meat because i cannot keep my blood parameters up. i have focused very closely on monitoring my iron intake however i always have to eat iron tablets in the end. any tips???
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niyanta
18 Nov ’15 at 13:30
hi! you should try including more green leafy vegetables like spinach in your diet. They are VERY rich in iron.
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Sarah
22 Jul ’13 at 22:59
These look delicious!! I can't wait to try them at my next summer BBQ.
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Katrina @ WVS
22 Jul ’13 at 21:40
Ha! My boyfriend and I get asked if we miss meat all the time, and we just usually shrug off the question with a simple "No"...the question that bothers me the most is "where do you get your protein if you don't eat meat?". Soooo annoying!! haha This burger looks so fabulous! Love how bright it is :)
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Laura
22 Jul ’13 at 20:36
Yes! All of the wonderful things you list about vegetables, this is very much how I feel too. They are so varied and seasonal and beautiful; all rising out of the magnificent and humble soil of the earth. Eating them with frequency seems to be the most natural thing to do. I love shredded beets in veggie burgers. This sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for linking to my recipe too! :)
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Kaia
22 Jul ’13 at 20:14
What would work instead of feta or tofu? I don't eat dairy or soya but would love to try these. Any suggestions?
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Kristen
1 Apr ’20 at 07:15
You can make tofu from chickpea / garbanzo flour. It's on my list to try in the next couple of weeks...so I can't tell you how it is. https://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/04/genius-chickpea-tofu/
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Ana
22 Jul ’13 at 19:41
I am so, so, so happy to see my name among the giveaway winners. I am so in love with everything that you do - recipes, photos, lifestyle, and I just can't wait to receive my Ebook copy. Thank you very much!!
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Henrik
22 Jul ’13 at 19:39
Best looking burgers ever! The photos are such a treat that I don't even need to eat them. :) Miri: You should be able to replace the eggs with flax, chia seeds, or psyllium husks.
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shakti
26 Aug ’13 at 10:12
Eek! This egg thing..... I still have a fairly strong physical reaction from childhood. Cannot bear yellow as it makes me feel physically sick. Also, lately, have been feeling very queay and sick just reading or talking about egg. Moving on SWIFTLY so relieved chia and flaxseed but I did not KNOW that about psyllium husk. I had been wondering if it may be a binder for veggie burgers (and a little for energy bars) as it does get pretty solid!
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Cosette
22 Jul ’13 at 19:20
Oh these look so lovely! I've been meaning to make your other beet burgers but now i think i might have to make these instead... :) And by the way your photography is stunning! Have you ever thought of making a post to share your tips on food photography? Kind of like a 'behind the scenes'.
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Rachel
22 Jul ’13 at 18:42
I just cannot wait to try these! Just waiting for my beetroot to grow bigger - this now sweltering british summer should help :-)
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Som
22 Jul ’13 at 18:14
I just scared the daylights out of my brother :D Thank you!
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miri
22 Jul ’13 at 18:11
hi, how can i make those amazing burgers vegan? what can replace an egg? thanks
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Juli
22 Jul ’13 at 17:32
This looks amazing! How would you replace the eggs for a vegan version?
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Carolina Yng
22 Jul ’13 at 18:10
Not really sure, but I feel like avocados might work instead of eggs..? :)
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Gloria Huerta
22 Jul ’13 at 19:03
Flaxmeal - 1 TBSP ground flaxmeal to 3 TBSP water = 1 egg Plus, you are adding some healthy Omegas as well. Chia seeds are also an option, as well as mashed potatoes, or cooked oatmeal, so many options available for vegan substitutes.
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Juli
23 Jul ’13 at 09:05
Thank you Carolina and Gloria! I'll definitely try it!
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Smallest Aye-Aye
30 Sep ’13 at 00:37
I just made this with mashed potatoes replacing the eggs. I used potato flakes ("Idaho Spuds Mashed Potatoes"), mixed some with soymilk in a mug, and microwaved it for a minute. Alternately, just stick a small potato in the microwave for 7 minutes and mash it with some soymilk. These burgers are unbelievable; I'm definitely making this again!
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Bev @ Bev Cooks
22 Jul ’13 at 15:59
I just fell out of my chair. OMGGGG.
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Ondina Maria
22 Jul ’13 at 15:23
These patties look absolutely delicious. A recipe to keep :)
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bell
22 Jul ’13 at 15:19
i agree! veggies should be the star of the plate! not the fancy meat, pasta or bread!!!!
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Carolina Yng
22 Jul ’13 at 15:15
This looks amazing, I'm making this for dinner tonight!
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Djoeke
22 Jul ’13 at 14:57
Wow that's great! :) Thank you! The beet burgers look amazing, I'm going to try them soon.
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Sarah
22 Jul ’13 at 14:48
These look incredible. More beautiful than any burger I've seen, meat or otherwise. Gorgeous.
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Chelsea
22 Jul ’13 at 14:33
Beet-based burgers are always my favorite! SO sweet and juicy! I can't wait to try this. One can never have too many veggie burger recipes!
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shellsten
22 Jul ’13 at 14:17
The wonderful beet. Oh and I do agree, how did people not get that the central part of a meal is the vegetables? To start with a green and build the meal around it - not the other way around. To me it's a mystery.(The main picture in this post is fantastic! I wouldn't mind getting a tip or two from you :) )
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