I think if you would’ve asked me a couple of years ago if I liked zucchini I would have easily shrugged with a quick “of course, who doesn’t?” However when I look back at my recent recipes, it’s becoming apparent that I’m a little more than just fond of zucchini! Who knew zucchini was so versatile? In the last several months, I’ve made Vegan Zucchini Sweet Potato Rolls, Zucchini Pasta with Mushroom Marsala, Zucchini Fritters with Poached Eggs, Zucchini Fettuccine and Cauliflower Alfredo, and now these Vegetarian Zucchini White Bean Burgers. Looks like I need to be making something sweet with Zucchini, maybe some Zucchini Muffins, with almond or cashew meal, and a little honey and flax-seed?? Mmmmm, I think this may have to happen sooner rather than later!
Sorry, I’ll try to focus – back to these Zucchini White Bean Burgers, I’m a huge fan of veggie burgers…not so much the frozen, highly processed, full of soy type veggie burgers that are so often found in the stores… but rather those made from scratch, in my kitchen, and loaded with beans, seeds, meals, herbs, onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini…I think you get the point. Bake those patties to a golden perfection, slap them on a toasted bun, and it ranks right up there with one of my favorite things to eat!
These Zucchini White Bean patties may be vegetarian and gluten-free but they are certainly not lacking in flavor. The zucchini and white beans create a lovely base, while the almond meal, flax, chia, and sunflower seeds add a healthy dose of texture and crunch that is then perfectly seasoned with the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Refrigerating this combo for an hour or so, helps the patties hold together better once baked and on your bun. Not only do they offer a good source of nutrition, but they do so without a lot of calories.
And then there’s this Sriracha Avocado Sauce, a combination of two of my favorites and a great substitute for mayo that offers a little healthy fat with a bit of a kick! Feel free to adjust the garlic, lemon and other seasonings according to your own likes and dislikes, then top your burger with some additional toppings and this is one satisfying veggie burger. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
I hope to have good news to share with you next week about our almost/hopeful/soon-to-be new house!
Happy Friday!
Vegetarian Zucchini White Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- ZUCCHINI BURGERS
- 3 small-med zucchini grated, drained (this is about 1 1/2 cups once drained)
- 4 brussels sprouts
- 1/2 red onion diced or grated
- 1 can great northern white beans rinsed and drained
- 1 ounce feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons flaxmeal
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons almond meal
- 2 tablespoons sunflower kernels
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- SRIRACHA AVOCADO SAUCE
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp vanilla almond milk
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 2 basil leaves optional
- Choice of buns/slims
- Suggested Toppings: Avocado red bell pepper, sliced onion, spinach, cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- While oven heats, grate zucchini in food processor then put in strainer, salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add red onion and brussels sprouts to food processor, pulse 5-6 times until finely chopped.
- Set chopped onions and brussels sprouts aside and add white beans to food processor. Pulse until nearly pureed.
- Take handfuls of zucchini and squeeze out all water before adding to large bowl.
- Add onions and brussels sprouts to drained zucchini in large bowl, then beans, feta cheese, flaxseed, chia seeds, almond meal, sunflower seeds and seasonings.
- Stir until well combined and thoroughly mixed.
- Place in refrigerator for one hour (or longer).
- Once burger mix has sat for an hour, remove and create 6-8 patties with your hands. (I've had some feedback that people have ended up with seven large patties and having a hard time getting them to cook through without falling apart - I'd suggest keeping the patties on the smaller size, even if it makes more than 6-8. Also if the mixture seems to wet, add additional almond meal or flax to the help with the excessive moisture.)
- Place patties on a wax lined baking sheet (I also sprayed my wax paper with a little coconut oil cooking spray) and bake for 12 minutes. Remove tray, gentle flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- While the patties bake, add all ingredients for the Sriracha Avocado Sauce to a NutriBullet or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Makes 5 servings, 2 tbsp each.
- Assemble your veggie burgers using bun of choice, then top patties with Sriracha Avocado Sauce and whatever toppings you prefer - we used red bell pepper, spinach, and sliced avocado. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from Never Homemaker’s Zucchini Burgers.
