Roasted Beet Burgers

Let's face it, summertime is all about the burger.  And sometimes that leaves out those of us who don't eat meat.  Thank goodness the rest of the world seems to be finally getting on board with veggie burgers.  Whip up a batch of these beet, brown rice, and black bean based veggie burgers and bring them to your next cookout.  You may even convert a few meat eaters! And did I mention they are gluten-free and vegan too?

Roasted Beet Burgers

Ingredients:

2 large beets

1 tbsp coconut oil, plus a little for the pan

1 cup brown rice, cooked

7 dates, finely chopped (if they aren't soft soak in water for 5-10 minutes)

1 cup black beans, cooked

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic

1/2 jalapeño, diced, seeds removed

1/2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup soy sauce, I prefer Tamari which also comes in gluten-free

1/4 cup molasses

1/8 cup vegan worcestershire (optional, Annie's makes a good one)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash beets.  Wrap each beet with coconut oil in foil and bake for about 1 hour or until soft.  Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets and slice in quarters.  Put beets, dates, black beans, and rice into a food processor and pulse until combined.  You want them mostly broken down, but with some slightly larger pieces.  Put this mixture into a large bowl. 

Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a skillet and cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeño until the onions are translucent.  Add this to the beet mixture along with salt, pepper, and cumin and stir to combine.  Shape the mixture into patties and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but up to 3 days. 

When you are ready to cook them, combine soy sauce, molasses, and worcestershire (optional) and whisk until combined.  Brush each burger with the marinade.  Heat coconut oil over medium/medium-high heat and cook each patty for about 4 minutes on each side, or until heated all the way through.  Serve on a bun or broken up on top of a salad!  And if you're not a vegan, I highly recommend you top it with a slice of swiss or jack cheese and melt it under the broiler.  Just trust me on this one.

If you're looking for other great cookout recipes try the Dirty South Veggie BBQ or this Summer Corn Salad!