This 4th of July is bound to look and feel much different than in any years past but I made a promise to myself (and to my family) that it will TASTE very familiar! Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes for serving at a BBQ. It’s my twist on a recipe that my close friend Sara sent me that she came up with in London! It pleases a crowd of all types, is easy to prepare and feeds the masses at an incredibly low price point!
My Virtually Guiltless Vegan Burgers are full of flavor, contain the perfect amount of spice and are even hiding some incredible vitamins and minerals inside. What I really love about this recipe is that it’s a “burger” that suits everyone. Even my son Ellis (a big meat eater) loves this vegan version. It’s a hit with Vegans, Vegetarians, Meat lovers and it’s even gluten-free! You can’t go wrong.
My Vegan Burgers are the perfect combination of juicy, with a bit of crunch, spicy (thanks to the incredible sauce I top them with) and savory (thanks to all the herbs and spices that just pop in your mouth!).
You can cook these burgers on a traditional outdoor grill or like I do inside on my grill pan on my stove top. It’s beyond simple and the finished product looks and tastes just like it’s been grilled outside. When the burgers are done, I swear to you that they even look like traditional burgers. No one will believe that they are meatless!
Sometimes I eat mine with some sharp cheddar cheese which pairs really nicely with these flavors and they are great served with or without the bun!
Because of all the beans, carrots, and chia seeds that make up my Vegan Burgers, this recipe is loaded with fiber (my fave)! The beets in the recipe are so healthy! They add lots of iron, potassium and Vitamin C which helps to reduce inflammation, helps to lower blood pressure and even improves blood flow. I am on a total beet kick right now. Eating lots of them grated in my salads or vacuum packed to which I add some oil and vinegar and enjoy them cold and straight from the fridge. Delicious and nutritious—two of my favorite words!
I’ll be missing my crowd of friends and family this 4 of July. But as usual, I’ll use my recipes to find comfort in the memories of years past when we could all enjoy them together. I hope you’ll use my recipe this year in your celebration to “cook” up some new memories this 4th of July. Wishing you and yours a healthy, safe, holiday. Xx Janine
Janine’s Virtually Guiltless Vegan Burgers
Ingredients: Make 8 burgers
1 cup beets: grated (about 1 medium beet)
1 cup carrots: grated (about 1 large carrot)
2 large scallions: finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro: finely chopped
1 can no salt kidney beans: rinsed and mashed with a fork
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast
4 oz. roasted Tahini
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
Dash of Cayenne pepper
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce
Instructions:
1: Grate carrot and beet – place into a large mixing bowl.
2: Add the remaining ingredients: finely chopped spring onions, cilantro, mashed kidney beans, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, roasted tahini, smoked paprika, cumin, coconut aminos, cayenne pepper and pepper to taste. Mix very well.
3: Make 8 burgers out of the mixture. Add a little olive oil to a grill pan medium high heat or a non stick frying pan. Place 4 burgers on the hot pan and cook for 5 minutes each side. Grill marks are nice of you have a grill pan.
4: Set burgers aside to cool or eat right away.
5: Mix 1 Tablespoon light mayonnaise with 1 Tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce – top your burger with this sauce or use for dipping.
