As you know, my motto in the kitchen is to cook easily and mostly in a healthy way! I love to prepare recipes that reflect these qualities, alternating between vegetables, legumes, and grains, and sometimes combining them in a single dish! Vegetarian burgers are almost always the winning solution, also because they now meet the dietary needs of many, including mine, even though I am not strictly vegetarian, but certainly an enthusiastic supporter! Among the many burgers I have prepared over the years, these millet ones with vegetables—in my case potatoes, zucchini, and onion—are undoubtedly among the tastiest and richest in micronutrients! They are made with few and simple ingredients, which means they do not contain flour, eggs, or gluten, as millet is naturally free of it. Moreover, it is suitable for various preparations because it can absorb liquids remarkably well and in much less time than other grains, so it doesn’t require soaking! Thanks to these qualities, you can create burgers, meatballs, and small casseroles without using eggs, just as I did! You can serve these burgers as a main course accompanied by a side of salad for a wholesome, light but incredibly satiating lunch or dinner. Let me know if you try them!
CURIOSITY: Did you know that millet is rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid indispensable for the production of serotonin, the hormone that promotes good mood? Additionally, it is rich in fiber, making it a valuable aid for our intestines! Its grains are a true treasure trove of minerals, including iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and silicon, which are essential for strengthening muscles and the brain. During stressful periods, it’s sufficient to integrate it into your diet instead of bread and pasta to have good effects on our hair! This ancient grain, in general, still preserves its original naturalness, and, thanks to increased awareness of a healthier diet, the old prejudices and preconceptions that millet is just birdseed or chicken feed are beginning to fall away. Not coincidentally, for over 6000 years, it has been the primary ingredient for many Asian populations and the Old Continent.
If I have piqued your curiosity, try the other vegetarian and vegan variants to discover:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 10 burgers of 3.3 inches Ø
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients:
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE, THERE ARE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 6.2 oz millet
- 2 potatoes (medium)
- 1 yellow zucchini
- 1 golden onion
- 1.8 oz feta (Greek)
- 1/2 sprig rosemary
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ as needed)
- as needed sweet paprika
- as needed chili pepper
- as needed salt
Tools
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE, THERE ARE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Fork
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Grater
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Pastry ring
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps
Rinse the millet a couple of times under running water to remove any residual saponins, which would make it slightly bitter. Toast it dry with a few leaves of rosemary for a couple of minutes inside a saucepan.
Cook it using the absorption method, that is, covering it with twice the amount of water compared to its weight, so in this case 1 1/2 cups of salted water, bringing it to a boil and turning off the heat after a couple of minutes.
Let it rest with the lid always closed for at least 15 minutes or until it has absorbed all the water. After this time, use a fork to fluff it as you would with couscous and let it cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: on a cutting board finely chop the onion with a knife.
Wash, trim, and peel the zucchini, do the same with the potatoes, then grate them.
In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the onion with 3 tablespoons of oil.
After a couple of minutes, add the grated zucchini and potatoes.
Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and let it wilt for 5 minutes, adding a little hot water only if necessary. Turn off the heat, adjust with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked vegetables to the millet and season with sweet paprika to taste.
Mix and add the grated Greek feta to the mixture.
With the help of an 8.5 cm pastry ring, create burgers not too high, maximum 0.6 inches, compacting them well with a spatula and placing them directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle the burgers on top with a little oil and bake them in a preheated oven at 375°F for about 35 minutes or until they are slightly golden.
Once cooked, let them cool slightly to firm up, and serve on a bed of fresh salad with a yogurt cream as accompaniment.
And voilà… your millet and vegetable burgers are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Other shots…
Storage
👉Millet and vegetable burgers are great warm but even better and more compact the next day. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 For a total vegan version, you can replace the feta cheese with nutritional yeast flakes, which is deactivated and dried brewer’s yeast, making it a perfect food supplement and flavor enhancer similar to cheese.
🟣 You can replace Greek feta with any other cheese you like, so yes to grana or grated parmesan, as well as provola, scamorza, etc.
