These burgers are absolutely loaded with nutritional power! A tiny bit of apple sweetness makes them extra popular with the kids and they taste equally great as a handy finger food. For picnics or lunchboxes, a proper burger served in a bun with all your favourite ‘fillers’ or with mash and peas. I often serve with this cauliflower mash to add some more hidden veggies to the meal and it tastes simply delicious.
What you need:
For the burgers:
1 tbsp olive oil
Half a red onion – finely chopped
1 garlic clove – finely chopped
1 tin kidney beans – drained and rinsed
100g porridge oats
3 tbsp unsweetened apple puree
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp paprika
Salt to taste
For the mash:
700g cauliflower – leaves and tough stalks removed, cut into florets
600-650g potatoes (3 medium potatoes) – peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (optional)
Half a teaspoon of nutmeg
Salt to taste
Dash of unsweetened plant milk if necessary
How you do it:
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil.
In a non-stick pan fry the onion until translucent, then add the garlic for another minute.
Add all the ingredients for your burgers to a food processor (including the fried onion and garlic).
Blend until you get a paste, scraping down the sides once or twice.
Add more salt if necessary and put it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes (this will make forming patties a lot easier).
Once the water is boiling add cauliflower florets and potato chunks to the pan and cover with a lid.
Simmer on low heat until very soft, this should roughly take about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile start frying your burgers.
Add a little more olive oil to the same pan you used earlier to fry onion and garlic.
I use one heaped tablespoon of bean paste per burger, making a ball in the palms of my hands before pressing it into a burger shape.
Fry 3-4 burgers at the time for around 6 minutes, flipping them over half way through.
Keep the finished burgers warm in your oven if they’ll be eaten straight away.
Continue until there is no bean paste left, adding a little more oil to the frying pan with every new batch.
With a masher mash your drained cauliflower/ potato chunks until nice and smooth, adding a little plant milk if it feels too dry.
Add vegan mayonnaise, nutmeg and salt to taste.
Serve your burgers with the mash and a side of peas, broccoli or leafy salad.