Best Veggie Burger

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (or use 2 cups of leftover cooked quinoa and skip step 1 of the recipe)
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 large egg*
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup canned corn (drained well)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 3 green onions (white and light green parts only, thinly sliced)
• hamburger buns and toppings (as desired for serving)
• olive oil for cooking (not needed if baking in the oven)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the quinoa: Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water; drain and set aside. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Let quinoa cool for at least 15 minutes.*

2. 2

   Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are ground up semi-finely. It is ok if a few larger bits remain.

3. 3

   To the oats in the food processor, add the cooked quinoa, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, ketchup, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Pulse about 8 times to begin to mix the ingredients. Add the corn, bell pepper and green onions and pulse 6-8 more times to combine.

4. 4

   Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and then shape each portion into a burger patty that is about ½-inch thick.

5. 5

   To cook on the stove: Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Cook the veggie burgers in the hot pan for 4-6 minutes per side, or until the burgers are browned on the outside and reach at least 160° F in the center. If you find that the outside is browning too much before the inside cooks through, you can cover the pan to trap the heat.

6. 6

   To cook in the oven: Preheat oven to 375° F. Place burgers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, flipping burgers over halfway through the cook time. Burgers are done when the center registers at least 160° F on an instant read thermometer.

7. 7

   To cook on an outdoor grill: Make sure the grill grates are clean and preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Oil the grill grates well and cook burgers for 4-6 minutes per side, until burgers reach at least 160° F in the center. You may wish to use a grill topper or grill basket to ensure that the burgers hold their shape, as they can be more delicate than meat burgers.

8. 8

   Serve veggie burgers on burger buns with toppings, as desired.