Toasted Pecan Quinoa Burgers
Toasted pecans have a sweet, earthy flavor that helps to make these meat-free “burgers” unique. The quinoa lends itself to the nutty flavor of the pecans and rounds out the nutritional profile of these tasty burgers. When I want to have a more “burger-like” experience, I put this on a gluten-free bun with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion, or sometimes I just place the patty between two large lettuce leaves. Serve these to your vegan friends and watch them savor every bite!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pecans
- 2¼ cups vegetable broth divided
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more for seasoning
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 carrot shredded
- ½ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coconut or sunflower oil
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spread the pecans on a baking pan and roast for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Combine 2 cups of the broth, quinoa, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.
- Measure 1 cup of the quinoa for use in the burgers, reserving any extra for another use.
- Combine the pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cumin, and oregano in a food processor and grind to a medium-coarse texture.
- In a large bowl, stir together the 1 cup quinoa, nut mixture, carrot, and beans.
- While stirring, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup broth until mixture becomes tacky.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Form the mixture into 8 patties about ½-inch thick and cook, refrigerate, or freeze immediately.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add half of the patties and cook for about 2 minutes on each side (cook longer from frozen).
- Repeat with the remaining patties.
- Top the burgers with avocado slices.