A few weeks ago, while I was grocery shopping, I confess that I was tempted to buy some ready-made veggie burgers, the kind that take just a few minutes in the pan or air fryer to serve! Sometimes there are days when it’s hard to organize in the kitchen, and it’s convenient to have something quick to put on the plate! Of course, I succumbed to the allure of the ready product because the ingredient list was absolutely great, but the taste did not completely satisfy me! Quinoa, spinach, and cabbage were the main ingredients, yet they seemed rather bland! So, I decided that I could easily replicate them at home with better results, replacing the cabbage with broccoli florets or, if you prefer, other vegetables you have in the fridge! Well, what can I say? The taste of “homemade” is incomparable, and I am also against food waste! Moreover, they are prepared quite quickly because the broccoli is stewed for a few minutes in a pot with a leek and half an onion, and everything is put in a food processor! The quantities I leave you are perfect for a family of 6; otherwise, once cooked, you can freeze them and defrost them as needed! Quinoa, by the way, is a gluten-free pseudo-cereal, so just replace the regular breadcrumbs in the recipe with gluten-free ones to make them suitable for celiacs! For the rest, they are veggie burgers, so they are suitable for the whole family and also for those following a vegan diet. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties thanks to spinach and broccoli, they are perfect and practical to prepare and bring to the office, on a day trip, or as a dinner saver!
If you, like me, enjoy healthy and wholesome food, and love these alternative dishes, you absolutely must try these preparations as well:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 13 burgers Ø 2.75 inches
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS 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, at no additional cost to you!
- 7.8 oz quinoa, cooked (or mix of precooked quinoa and bulgur)
- 5.3 oz baby spinach (fresh)
- 8.8 oz broccoli
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1/2 leek (small)
- 2/3 cup water
- 2.5 oz chickpea flour
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- to taste herbs (basil, mint, and parsley)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ to taste for greasing the pan)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Paper towel
- 2 Gloves
Steps
Start by washing the broccoli under running water, then clean them, removing the outer skin with a knife.
Cut them into florets and set aside.
Cut the leek into strips and finely chop the half onion.
In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of oil and sauté the leek and chopped onion for a couple of minutes over low heat.
Then add the broccoli florets and pour the hot water gradually and only as needed, and stew for 8′-10′.
They should be tender but not mushy and have absorbed all the cooking water. Turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and let cool.
Once they are cool and well drained of any residual cooking liquid, transfer the broccoli florets to the food processor bowl along with the precooked quinoa* .
Add the raw fresh baby spinach as well.
Blend intermittently until you have a fairly creamy and homogeneous mixture.
Transfer the obtained mixture to a large bowl and add the chickpea flour.
Flavor with some coarsely chopped leaves of basil, mint, and parsley, and season with salt.
Finish with the breadcrumbs and mix. If the mixture is still soft, you can add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Let rest 30′ in the fridge.
Heat the pan and grease it with a drop of oil, absorbing the excess with a kitchen paper towel.
Using food-grade gloves or slightly damp hands, form burgers each weighing 60 grams and slightly flatten them.
Cook a few burgers at a time over medium heat for about 4′ or until they come off easily with a spatula.
Flip them and continue cooking for another 4′ or until they are nicely golden brown.
Serve them warm, even better at room temperature, accompanied by a fresh seasonal salad or with a handful of fresh baby spinach and ribbon-cut carrots.
And voilà…the quinoa, broccoli, and spinach burgers are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉Quinoa, broccoli, and spinach burgers can be stored in the fridge in suitable containers for refrigeration for 3-4 days. Just heat them for 2′ at maximum power in the microwave and serve.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 *If you can’t find precooked quinoa, you will find an affiliate link to purchase it directly from my site in the ingredient section, or you can buy the one to cook yourself! In this case: 1) first, you will need to rinse it thoroughly under running water. This will remove the saponins, which are slightly bitter but harmless substances.
2) Toast the pseudo-cereal in a pan with a drizzle of oil – just as you do with rice grains before preparing a risotto. 3) Then add either water or hot broth. The ratio is always: 1 part quinoa (e.g., 100 g) to 2 parts liquid (about 200 g).
The quinoa is cooked when the liquid is absorbed, which takes about 15′.
🟣 For a gluten-free version, instead of chickpea flour, you can use other legume flours like hulled dry pea flour, lentil flour, or if you prefer, simply rice flour. Moreover, instead of regular breadcrumbs, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
🟣 For a richer and more delicious taste, in the vegan version, you can add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes, which is a deactivated yeast that has lost its ability to leaven and ferment, and is thus not suitable for bread or desserts, but can be considered a flavor enhancer instead of cheese. In the vegetarian version, you can enrich the mixture by adding 2-3 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano or Parmesan or another cheese of choice.
