Forget those impossible “beef” patties that move beyond real ingredients. These high-protein plant-based burgers are made with whole foods – superfoods even – and are far healthier than any premade patties you can buy at the store. Each hefty burger has over 20 grams of completely natural protein, not counting any buns, greens, or condiments you might use.
High-Protein Plant-Based Burgers made Purely with Whole Foods
I love veggie burgers. Not protein isolates and oils emulsified into a meat wannabe, but patties made from real vegetables and grains. Usually, vegan burgers are a little heavy on the carbs, but these high-protein plant-based burgers have a better nutrient balance. And they’re unbelievably top allergen-free!
The recipe was created by the superfood queen, Julie Morris. She uses black beans, hemp seeds, and quinoa for a vegan burger mix that’s naturally high in protein and fatty acids, without need for any protein supplements. But does it taste like meat? No, it tastes like delicious real food. Enjoy!
Special Diet Notes: High-Protein Plant-Based Burgers
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon oil, divided
- 1 cup finely diced sweet yellow onion (about ½ medium onion)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
- 1½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 cup hemp seeds
- 10 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water until soft, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- 1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 1⁄3 cup quinoa flakes
- Heat the 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper, and continue to cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the black beans, hemp seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, sea salt, chipotle, and cayenne. Sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- Add the miso paste, and use a fork to mix the beans and miso together, partially mashing the beans. Mix in the cooked brown rice and quinoa flakes. Let cool.
- When cool enough to handle, use clean hands to knead the mixture together to form a dense base.
- Place the base in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to allow quinoa flakes to swell and absorb the excess moisture.
- Form the mixture into 8 patties (8 patties if you want them smaller).
- Heat ½ tablespoon of the remaining oil in your pan over medium heat. Add half of the patties and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until browned. Repeat with the remaining ½ tablespoon oil and patties.
This recipe was reprinted with permissions from Chef Julie Morris. It's from her cookbook, Superfood Cuisine: Cooking with Nature’s Most Amazing Foods.
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