Easily craft your own meat-free alternatives at home. Isabel, The Hip Vegetarian, shares her trusted bean burger recipe this month.
Meat substitutes come in pure forms like tofu, tempeh, and seitan, or processed options from the supermarket. But nothing beats homemade delights like falafel, bean burgers, or beetroot burgers. With the right base ingredients for structure and cohesion, endless variations are possible. It takes practice to perfect, but even if they crumble slightly, the flavor shines through.
Ingredients for 8 bean burgers
Base ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 egg whites or 2 tablespoons linseed mixed with 2 tablespoons hot water
- Salt and pepper
Choose your legumes
400 grams
- Chickpeas, cooked
- Lentils, cooked
- Black beans, cooked
- Kidney beans, cooked
- Peas, cooked
Choose your grains
100 grams, optional
- Quinoa, cooked
- Brown rice, cooked
- Spelt, cooked
Choose your binder
Add by feel
Flour of choice
- Oat flakes
- Breadcrumbs
- Rusk crumbs
- Roughly chopped nuts
Optional for creaminess
Choose your flavor boosters
Max one wet ingredient
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tahini or nut butter
- 2 tablespoons spring onions, chopped
- Handful fresh green herbs
- Handful sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- Handful nuts, kernels, or seeds, chopped
- Handful Parmesan cheese, grated
- Handful goat cheese, crumbled
- 100 grams kale
- 100 grams tomato puree
Instructions
- Combine base ingredients, legumes, and optional tofu in a food processor. Add grains and seasonings now if you want them ground, or stir in later for texture.
- Pulse into an even mixture. It may be too wet to handle and stick to your hands.
- Incorporate binder (e.g., tablespoons of oat flakes) gradually until manageable, avoiding excess to prevent dryness.
- Stir in any remaining grains or seasonings by hand.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Form 8 balls, flatten into burgers on the tray (or make smaller ones).
- Bake 20-30 minutes until firm and holding together, flipping after 15 minutes. Adjust time based on oven and size.
Discover Isabel's flavor secrets in our April Santé interview. Find more recipes on her blog, The Hippe Vegetariër.
Recipe and image: The Hip Vegetarian
