It’s no secret that I love veggie burgers. I have four already on the blog: The Original Vegan Veggie & Bean Burger, The Stuffed Veggie & Bean Burger, a Cauliflower Hemp Burger, and a Portobello Black Rice Burger. However, this does not stop me from creating more so here is another one to add to the list! This burger truly exudes the taste of fall. It is sweet, savory and satisfying. The flavors complement each other wonderfully and my whole family really enjoyed them. Although you need to roast the veggies and cook the rice, it is really easy to put together and doesn’t have that many ingredients. The natural flavors of the ingredients make this burger, so a lot of extra seasoning is not needed.
I served these on the vegan pretzel rolls by Rudi’s even though we usually stick to our sprouted wheat buns. Great choice because the splurge was worth it! I’m sure they would be great on any bun though. The burger is also paired with my Caramelized Onion & Sage Aioli, which is a great addition and adds another layer of flavor that complements the burger well. Serve it with a side of my Baked Kabocha Chips and you have fall on a plate! I highly recommend this for your next dinner or fall gathering. I plan to make these as sliders for the annual fall party we attend. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks!
Butternut Squash Apple Burgers
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rice medley (or other favorite rice)
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 3 cups diced butternut squash
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- 2 cups diced granny smith apples
- Himalayan pink salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (leaves only)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Toppings:
- Caramelized Onion Sage Aioli
- 6 pieces of lettuce
- 6 Pretzel Rolls, or other gluten free or sprouted wheat burger buns
note: I used a mixed rice medley for these but a wild rice would work too. I liked the different textures of the rice medley. You can also use water to cook the rice instead of the broth but the broth gives it a much better taste. If you want to roast the squash/apples/shallots with a drizzle of oil you can, however I did not and it turned out great. I originally was going to add 2 “flax eggs” to this recipe but once I mixed everything together I found the mixture was a perfect consistency and did not need any other binders. However if yours is too dry feel free to add 1-2 “flax eggs.” For each you mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water and set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes jelly like.
Instructions:
Cook rice in a rice cooker or on stovetop using broth making sure to measure out the amounts of each.
Preheat oven to 400. Wash and dice/chop squash, shallots and apples making sure to keep squash separate from the others. Place squash on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and roast for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, add apples and shallots to the cookie sheet. Roast another 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool, put in a food processor with the thyme and pulse until chunky. Do not puree into a mush or paste. Add to a large bowl.
Next add the cooked rice and pumpkin seeds to the food processor and pulse until chopped a bit but still chunky. Add to the bowl.
Mix everything well. Taste and add more salt if needed, but it shouldn’t need much if you cooked the rice with broth.
Shape into 4 inch patties, then cook on stove top in a pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until browning (depending on stove). Make sure to keep pan covered to help the burger cook throughout. Check every few minutes to prevent burning, should be slightly browned when ready. Let sit for a few minutes after cooked to help burger get more stable before eating.
Serve burgers with Caramelized Onion Sage Aioli on pretzel rolls or other gluten free or sprouted wheat buns. Top with lettuce. Serves great with a side of Baked Kabocha Squash Chips.
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