Many a brave soul has made the heroic attempt to make the transition from the classic meat burger to a ”healthier’ meat-free version.

However, as the great Eminem once said, you usually only have one shot -one opportunity- to convince your family, friends (or the the dude/ significant other in your life) that this type of burger will be just as pleasurable as the usual one.

This is where many attempts fail.

You see, the problem that arises when cooking meat-free burgers is often one of texture. Many people are use legumes to make the patties- but let’s be honest here: if you want a result near the classic meat burger, in most seen cases, legumes just don’t cut it.

Yep. I said what I said.  I mean, you cannot convince a meat burger fan to opt for a vegetarian one, when it feels like biting into mud.

And by the way, I’m using the word mud here to stay decent. You know that frustrating feeling of biting in a burger and having the impression of totally losing control of it? The ‘aaaaaah jeeeez you must be kidin’ me” that comes to your mind when you feel the patty flatten and slip out of the bun at every bite and so on until you end up with just an empty bun and very messy hands and plate? Absolutely no fun here…

When I first thought of making a vegetarian burger, I wanted to avoid as much as possible the soggy result. And guess what, your girl managed to do it. The mix of quinoa and walnut totally makes it and because of the addition of eggs and oat, you won’t even struggle to make the patties hold together! Trust me, it’s a total win and with the combination of the ingredients that I chose to garnish, it’s absolutely delish, different and fresh!

↠ Ingredients ↞

8 slider buns (ciabatta is really good! choose a good quality bun if possible)

alfalfa, sprouts, watercress or lettuce of your choice

 

For the patties

1/2 cup of rinsed uncooked quinoa

1 cup of walnut

1 french shallot

1/2 cup of quick oat

2 eggs

1/4 tsp of salt

 

For the granny smith & fennel slaw

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1/4 cup of  Mustard “À l’ancienne” (moutarde de meaux)

1 1/2 tbsp of finely chopped chives

2 tbsp of chopped parsley 

2 tbsp of chopped tarragon

1 1/2 cup of very finely chopped fennel (use a mandoline)

1 granny smith apple

Freshly ground pepper

↠ How to ↞

  1. In a saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes, or until it tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Press the quinoa against the colander to remove excess water. Let cool.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the walnut intermittently until you get more or less the size and texture of quinoa. Put aside. Peel and cut the french shallot in 4 and do the same process. Put aside. Process the quick oat until you get the texture of a coarse flour.
  3. Mix all the ingredients of the patties together. Form into 8 patties of about 7cm diameter.
  4. In a large non-sticking pan over medium-high heat, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and fry the patties 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
  5. Meanwhile, using a knife or a mandoline, cut the apple in julienne (the size of a matchstick). Mix all the ingredients of the slaw together. Season with freshly ground pepper.
  6. Toast the buns on the barbecue or in a pan. Cover with a patty, garnish with the granny smith & fennel slaw and some alfalfa, sprouts, watercress or any type of lettuce. Serve with roasted sweet potato wedges.