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Monday, September 21, 2009

Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers

Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers

High Noon Café, the only vegetarian restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, where I live, serves the most unusual veggie burgers, bright red with beets and soft in texture from the tofu. The first time my husband recommended I try one, I was afraid to order it, but once his burger came, I couldn't resist sampling it. The sandwich comes piled with so many extras--vegan cheese, sun-dried tomato aioli, mushrooms-- that it took some doing to scrape off a clean sample of the burger, but once I did, I was intrigued by its flavor, which was lightly smoky but in a natural-tasting way, not through the use of Liquid Smoke or hickory-flavored salt. I was sure that the source of the smokiness must be the beets and was determined to try to replicate the taste at home.

To pack in as much natural smoky flavor as I could, I decided to roast the beets as well as the onion and garlic. To avoid adding starch, I used ground flax seeds as a binder, so my burgers came out less stable and easier to fall apart than the restaurant version, but the flavor was very similar, with hints of earthiness and smoke. Since the burgers had a tendency to fall apart, I didn't flip them over halfway through cooking as I would have liked to do to aid in browning, so the next time I make them I'll add either a couple of teaspoons of corn starch or a couple of tablespoons of oat flour (oatmeal pulverized in the blender). Otherwise, these red-violet burgers were near-perfect to me. If you enjoy a spicier burger, feel free to add more roasted garlic and chipotle chile powder, but not so much as to drown out the beet. (Sorry, couldn't resist the one pun!) They're shown here served with chipotle aioli (pureed chipotles mixed with vegan mayo), which provided a nice spicy kick.

Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers

Roasted Beet-Tofu Burgers
(printer-friendly version)

These burgers freeze well; in fact, freezing gives them a slightly firmer texture. They can be reheated by microwaving for about 1 minute.

2 medium beets
1 medium onion
6-10 garlic cloves (or as many as you like)
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (not silken)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika (optional, to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Wash and trim the beets, and wrap each one in foil. Trim the onion and wrap it in foil. Wrap the unpeeled garlic in foil (or trim the top of an entire head of garlic and wrap it). Place all on a baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool until vegetables are easy to handle. (You can do this step ahead of time, if you wish; just keep the roasted vegetables in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the burgers.)

While the vegetables are cooling, mash the tofu and stir in the remaining ingredients.

When the onions and garlic are cool enough, peel the onion and chop finely (I used a food processor). Squeeze the garlic from the cloves. Add both to the tofu and mix well. Peel the skins from the beets under running water, and shred. Add the shredded beets to the tofu, stirring until the mixture is a uniform, bright color.

Shape into patties about 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before removing with a spatula and serving.

Servings: 9
Yield: 9 burgers

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 79 calories, 31 (39%) calories from fat, 3.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 214.6mg sodium, 113.8mg potassium, 6.4g carbohydrates, 2.1g fiber, 2.1g sugar, 6.2g protein, 1.5 points.

Though MyPoints are calculated using a formula similar to Weight Watchers Points TM, this site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.


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Labels: CORE, Eat to Live, Higher-Fat, Soy

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71 Comments:

Anonymous Michelle said...

Love the color - so fun! Can't wait to give these a try.

12:28 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous Tarrant said...

How did I not know you were in Jackson? My grandmother lives in Jackson. Well, step-grandmother who I haven't seen since I was 12 or so. But I have a certain fondness for Jackson in any case.

12:49 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger The Voracious Vegan said...

That must be them most beautiful burger I've ever seen! I love beets, the texture, the flavor and THE COLOR! You can't beat that cheerful vibrant pink. Just gorgeous.

1:43 PM, September 21, 2009  
OpenID laurahborealis said...

I love that this is pink! I had a pink veggie burger in San Francisco- it was delicious. I can't wait to try making my own!

2:00 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger nora said...

Thanks, Susan! I love them! A bright pink burger? Yes please!

2:11 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous Josiane said...

The roasted veggies must give this burger so much flavor! I love that it uses vegetables that are in season right now; that makes for the perfect Fall burger!

2:25 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous moonwatcher said...

Oh Susan,

I just squealed with delight when I saw this-- a BEET burger--this is so great, and beautiful, too, because I love beets, roasted flavor and tofu. And I bet the flax is really nice with all this, too. I need one more beet and a block of tofu. . .I am so looking forward to trying this!! Thanks so much for working this up for us from your experience at The High Noon Cafe (love the name).

xo

moonwatcher

2:29 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger No More Sad Geraniums said...

This looks great! I have several beets in the fridge and was wondering what to do with them outside of making soup. The fact that they freeze well is even more perfect since I'm still stocking up on meals!

2:51 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous Mara said...

Susan:

We eat only plant-based whole foods, so we don't eat tofu. Do you think this recipe would work with almond flour instead of tofu?

BTW -- I regularly make your blueberry bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious. I am going to make your fig bars next.

Thanks.
Mara

2:56 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger Mary said...

Those are amazing! I'm not into beets, but I'm psyched that these are gluten-free. I wonder if another root veggie would work. Potatoes, or turnips, perhaps?

3:50 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

Mara, I don't think they'd come out the same, but you could always try. I've heard of people making beet burgers that are mostly just beets (I don't think they roast them first, though). Also, you could make a bean and beet burger using pinto or white beans. I'll bet that would be pretty.

Mary, I don't think that potatoes would have a lot of flavor, but how about sweet potatoes?

3:57 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger Cosmos said...

it looks like steak tar tar, i love beets though

5:54 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous Denise said...

That recipe looks delish!!

Just one thing though, I noticed an advertisment on your this page for fish fingers!

6:36 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

Thanks for the heads-up, Denise. I'm going to check into that right away.

6:55 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

If anyone else sees a fish ad, could you make a note of where it is and what brand it is? I need this info in order to ask my ad company to remove it. Thanks!

6:57 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger Jenny said...

Oh, man, my 9 year old is obsessed with beets. He will love this. (And thanks for the heads up about Jackson having a veggie restaurant; we drive through occasionally, and I would not have assumed that.) What kind of bun is that?

6:59 PM, September 21, 2009  
OpenID ahimsablog said...

I love the idea of a bright red veggie burger. Food is even better when it's pleasing to the eye as well. :) All you're recipes are amazing!

8:40 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous LKSisters said...

Wow, the color is so beautiful and bold! This burger sounds so intriguing. What would you recommend as a substitute for the chipotle?

8:57 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous moonwatcher said...

Hi again Susan,

I was just reading over the recipe again and wondered, did you grind the flax seeds or use them whole?

Thanks,

moonwatcher

9:43 PM, September 21, 2009  
Anonymous moonwatcher said...

Oh, never mind, i just read the intro again, and see that you did grind the flax seeds. Sorry I missed that. :)
moonwatcher

10:17 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

LKSisters, you could use smoked paprika or cayenne pepper instead of the chipotle.

Moonwatcher--oops, the flax seeds were ground. Thanks for catching that. I'll change the recipe now.

10:18 PM, September 21, 2009  
Blogger Johanna said...

that looks fantastic - I just love the colour - and in fact I just bought some purple corn flour so am tempted to make these with a bit of the flour for extra colour - you can never have too much!

12:00 AM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger Chris said...

This looks great and not too hard to make. Just one question: how do you shred the beets? A grater?

2:05 AM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

Chris, I used the shredding disk on my food processor, but a grater would work, too.

7:25 AM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Veg is Sexy said...

If anybody lives in the NYC area, Five Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen makes beet-based veggie burgers as well. Thanks for the recipe Susan, can't wait to try them!

9:47 AM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Ricki said...

What a great new way to use beets. . . the burgers sound fabulous. This is a recipe I am definitely going to try!

10:07 AM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger Bess said...

What a crazy coincidence. Last night I made fried beet patties (recipe from http://www.oakhillorganics.org/blog.html/?p=279). They were so wonderful but of course high in fat.

I was thinking to myself I ought to send the idea to FFV because surely Susan could find a way to do it with less fat. And then I logged on this morning to see this post!

10:37 AM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I really dislike updates where it is impossible to tell what the update was. I have already printed this recipe. Is it incorrect? How do I tell? Speak to me!

10:41 AM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger SusanV said...

Anonymous, I'm not really sure what you're referring to. The only change that's been made to the recipe since it was first posted is to clarify that it's ground flax seeds, rather than whole.

10:49 AM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger A said...

Gorgeous! This would be a great 4th of July burger served with white vegan cheese and blue corn tortilla chips on the side!
-A

12:01 PM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Lisa said...

Wow, that's a lot of burger for 79 calories. I will definitely try to make some of these!

3:22 PM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Mary said...

These look amazing!!
I've never actually cooked with beets before...will definitely be giving this a try!!

4:47 PM, September 22, 2009  
OpenID oneshotbeyond said...

these look so great, what a clever use of beets!

5:06 PM, September 22, 2009  
Blogger merathon said...

i had a veggie burger at a restaurant in Asheville NC called 131 Main (they also have one here in Charlotte) and it was the BEST i've ever had. according to the menu, the main ingredients were beets, brown rice, and mushrooms. according to the server, even non-vegetarians order this burger because it is so amazing. i was wondering if i'd ever be able to duplicate it, so maybe this recipe is a start! thanks!

7:28 PM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm excited to try making these. Do you think it makes a difference, for better or worse, if the tofu is frozen and thawed, squeezed out, etc., or is it better to use tofu straight from fridge? Thanks to anyone for input.

8:32 PM, September 22, 2009  
Anonymous Kris said...

Very delicious and vibrant! I've recently started a love affair with beets (I used to only eat them pickled, which doesn't count) so I'll have to give these a try.

12:29 AM, September 23, 2009  
Anonymous Craig Russel said...

Thanks, a great delicious beet and tofu burger. Was looking out for good recipes for veg burgers. Thats because I've turned a veggie, thanks to a change in beliefs. But I could'nt give up on my favorite cigar Habanos This one's high in nutritional content and low on cholestrol, at the same time delicious.

3:38 AM, September 23, 2009  
Anonymous Hiring Girl said...

I eat tofu a lot. It is delicious and it will not make you fat. But I barely cook tofu at home. My husband doesn't eat tofu at all. He always into meat. And my kids doesn't like tofu too. Too bad for me!

8:42 AM, September 23, 2009  
Anonymous MG said...

Oh! I'm looking forward to trying this recipe.

...and, Hiring Girl, isn't that "too bad for them"? You should make some of these just for yourself!

9:02 AM, September 23, 2009  
Blogger info said...

This post has been removed by the author.

10:45 AM, September 23, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These look and sound so fantastic!! Love making my own veggie burgers, and you KNOW i'm adding the paprika, can't resist myself a lil kick!

you're my fav vegan blog! I'm gonna start my own soon I think because yours is so great it sounds like so much fun.

10:46 AM, September 23, 2009  
Blogger Jumper said...

I made something similar to replace ham in a recipe. I mixed the pureed beet with pureed tofu then re-pressed it in the fridge until the tofu re-solidified the mix. I also flavored it with salt and maple syrup. It tasted more like bacon than ham but I take that as no problem! The beet adds a lot of water; one could press it out or dry it in a low oven before cooking in a regular manner.

9:50 PM, September 23, 2009  
Anonymous couchSpud said...

I love the fact that this burger is pink. Scrumptious AND cute! :P

10:25 PM, September 23, 2009  
Blogger tracieMoo said...

Striking Colour! What a brilliant idea.. replacing meet with beet and tofu.. thanks for sharing!

9:48 AM, September 24, 2009  
Anonymous emiglia said...

What a great color!

6:20 PM, September 24, 2009  
Blogger Kelston said...

Hi Susan, this recipe looks amazing and I can't wait to try it out. I might use Agar-Agar as a binding agent. What do you think? In the picture (top of the page) there is something right on top of the burger that resembles melted cheese, what is that? Thank you.

7:47 AM, September 25, 2009  
Anonymous moonwatcher said...

Hi Susan,

I made these last night, and they are truly, truly delicious. The roasted vegetables lend such a subtle, yet sweet and earthy flavor, going well with the flax and the nutritional yeast. . .I did add a couple teaspoons of cornstarch as you suggested, and this allowed me to flip them over during cooking time, though I had to be careful. Since I don't do hamburger buns because of the gluten, and gluten free breads are generally higher in fat than I want to be, I wrapped my burger up in kales leaves, with fresh tomato and dijon mustard. Yum! I just had another for lunch in a blue corn tortilla with kale and other veggies--I am a mustard lover, and they are good with mustard. :) The flavor only improved overnight in the fridge, and they were wonderful cold and reheated (I was tempted to do that "different temperature" taste test we're so fond of !) I have some wrapped up to freeze, but I'm not sure how many of them will make it in there, though I hope a few will, because I'd like to see how they freeze, since you said they did well that way. Thanks for a truly beautiful AND truly delicious burger! Another favorite way to use beets. . .(I also just plain loved the taste of the roasted beet and roasted onion, and will now be thinking of what else I might do with those. Oh, and since I can't get smoked paprika up here in the sticks, I tried "toasting" some plain paprika in a little skillet. . .it turned darker and had a more earthy flavor that probably isn't as authentic as being it specially smoked, but it did lend a roasted though subtle flavor.)

xo

moonwatcher

2:58 PM, September 25, 2009  
Blogger eatme_delicious said...

These look awesome! I love beets.

6:23 PM, September 26, 2009  
Blogger Manda said...

I just tried making these tonight and they were delicious! The texture was a bit too squishy for what I like in my burger, so if you figure out a way to make it more firm let me know! I've got some in the freezer so they may work better when cooked

12:49 AM, September 27, 2009  
Anonymous ilona said...

Thanks for posting this recipe, Susan! I tried these a couple of days ago and they were excellent. Tasted very nice with ciabatta, next time will try with wholemeal buns.

2:57 AM, September 27, 2009  
Anonymous Melissa said...

Dear Susan, I am a huge fan of your site. Whenever I seek for inspiration I visit FatFreeVegan! I have just recently started my own food blog and would like to invite you to take a look at it:

urbangirlscoutcooking.blogspot.com

Take care,

Melissa

3:21 PM, September 27, 2009  
Anonymous kitchen tables said...

What a burger! Pink! haha.. love to try one and judge for myself if it really tastes good coz it looks like one!

9:32 PM, September 27, 2009  
OpenID stellatex said...

Genius!

3:16 PM, September 29, 2009  
Blogger Megan My Dear said...

I made these last night! Very delicious! I added some oat flour to help bind. They stayed together enough to flip halfway but totally fell apart while eating. It wasn't a big deal, just messy.

2:02 PM, September 30, 2009  
Blogger Megan My Dear said...

Leftover update: I had leftover burgers for lunch. I toasted them up in a pan on the stove with just a touch of earth balance (not fat free, but it only took a tiny bit). They toasted up so nicely. I ate them plain this way. This would make a great leftover dinner with mashed cauliflower or something. Really yummy.

7:27 PM, September 30, 2009  
Blogger Seng said...

They look absolutely gorgeous - Cant wait to try these! What does the nutritional yeast do? I live in England & its not always readily available? Thanks
Senga

4:43 AM, October 01, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for this recipe. I made the burgers last night and they were wonderful. Pretty, too. Like others who have posted, I would like to find a way to make them a bit more firm.

Hatshepsut

10:05 AM, October 01, 2009  
Anonymous Lacto Ovo Vegetarian said...

Great recipe...looks so tasty...will try tonite. Btw check out a great site for men looking into becoming vegetarian

3:50 PM, October 01, 2009  
Blogger Andréa N. said...

OMG, it looks absolutely delicious!!

3:17 PM, October 04, 2009  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My family made these on vacation and tried to use canned beets and they were just too wet to mold into patties. Perhaps a note not to use canned beets? The flavor was wonderful, though! Great recipe!

12:40 PM, October 06, 2009  
Blogger Jess of Veg Out! said...

I had a beet burger in San Francisco once, and it was FABULOUS. Yours looks really tasty, too!

1:06 PM, October 06, 2009  
Anonymous Berto said...

Hi Susan,

I am trying to make these beet burgers. However, I don't know how to squeeze the garlic (how does this work? do I shred?)and I only have corn starch (do I use 2 tablespoons?). Can you help? Please?

This cooking impaired vegan would really appreciate it, as these burgers look absolutely delicious.

Thank you.

8:48 PM, October 06, 2009  
Anonymous Liz said...

I wasn't sure if I'd like these or not, they're really different from what I normally make (and I couldn't remember ever eating a beet), but I couldn't resist trying them. A tip- don't hand grate beets with stainable stuff nearby, lol. I also had to squeeze A LOT of liquid out of each patty as I formed them. But in the end, mine were flippable (carefully). I also broiled them a bit at the end. I ate mine wrapped in flatbread, so I don't know if it held together then. But they were delicious! The texture took a bit of getting used to, but I was really surprised how yummy and smokey they tasted. The only thing I regret was not having smoked paprika, I think that would have put them over the top.

Still, I like instant gratification, so these will probably go on my special occasions list.

11:04 PM, October 06, 2009  
Blogger Em said...

We LOVED these and plan on having them regularly.
I made them up in the morning and put them in the freezer. I cooked them(for 20 min) on cookie sheets that were sprayed with a bit of oil as I did not have parchement paper and them I moved them up under the broiler and broiled them on low for 10 min.
I let them rest for 5 min....meanwhile taking some of the tasty bits off as I could not wait -the smell of them was enticing.
YUM!!!!! The flavor of these is incredible!!!
Thank you so much for helping me feed my family such healthy and delicious food.
Em

8:40 AM, October 07, 2009  
Anonymous Vege said...

That is one hell of a burger :)
Wonder only ho to eas burger when its height is so big :)
Though I don't see any "vege meat" inside this one - some fired tofu or anything of that sort what would be nice addition.

5:02 AM, October 09, 2009  
Blogger techkim said...

This looks great and beets are HIGH on my gall bladder diet. So I am always looking for new ways to use beets. Thanks

Kimmy

11:19 PM, October 10, 2009  
Blogger diane said...

A wonderful burger. I grated raw beets and roasted them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and also used a bit of vegan Worcestershire sauce. a tablespoon of chickpea flour bound this well. Great burger and, perhaps even better the next day. Thank you.

9:29 AM, October 12, 2009  
Blogger Allison said...

awesome burger. the chipotle vegenaise helped too.

11:55 AM, October 29, 2009  
Anonymous Susan said...

I made these and they were delicious. They smelled fabulous while in the oven too!

1:07 PM, November 03, 2009  
Blogger Addicted to Veggies said...

Hi Susan! I've followed your blog for a really long time and I love it! I hope it's okay with you, but I wanted to link to this post from my site. I made a vegan/raw beet burger and yours was the inspiration for it. Thanks so much!

~Sarahfae

6:17 PM, January 31, 2010  
Blogger SusanV said...

Of course--link away! I'm looking forward to seeing your raw beet burger!

6:27 PM, January 31, 2010  

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