Poobah’s Veggie Burgers

Who is Poobah?  That’s my Dad.  When my first son was born, we asked Dad what he wanted to be called.  “The Grand Poobah!” was his response.  Thinking that was wildly hilarious, we started calling him Poobah, and so far, that’s what the grandkids call him.  These veggie burgers are named for him because he’s also an avid veggie eater.  He juices daily and has always been health conscious, incorporating plenty of plant-based foods in his diet.  I figured if these passed the Poobah seal of approval, they were solid veggie burgers.

As you might know, the world of veggie burgers can be a scary place.  Some crumble to pieces the second you touch them, others have a weird chewy texture, others taste awful.  I wanted something substantial, made of quality ingredients, with an appealing look.  Also, because this recipe was commissioned by the fine folks at Traina Foods to incorporate their Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup, the flavors had to jive with the sweet tangy tomato flavor.

Poobah’s verdict?  He mowed down two during dinner, so I say they’re officially approved. They are also vegan and gluten free, so double win! (Full printable recipe at the bottom of the post.)

Start with your mise en place, including Traina Foods’ Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup.  If you don’t like heat, feel free to use the regular.  Heads up that this isn’t your standard ketchup, so don’t go throwing regular ketchup into this recipe as a substitute.  This ketchup has a very different texture and a better flavor.  Trust me on this, folks.

Then preheat your oven to 375F.

Next, drain and rinse your kidney beans and put them a medium bowl.  Mash them up with a fork so that all of the skins are broken and they’re starting to make a paste.

Next, add in all of your remaining ingredients including 3 beets, skinned and roasted and minced, ½ red onion, grated, ½ red pepper, grated, 1 cup zucchini, grated, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp granulated garlic, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp ground fennel, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp soy sauce, ½ tsp salt (more if needed), ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ cup Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup and 1.5 cups chickpea flour.  It’s important to grate the onion, pepper and zucchini so that they more easily bind with the other ingredients.  If they were minced or diced, you might end up with crumbly burgers.  Mix all of that together with your hands until you have a sticky, slightly wet consistency.

Next, evenly divide the mix into 8 servings and form into patties.  Place the patties on parchment paper on a baking pan and bake at 375F for 20 minutes.  Once they’re baked, you can either bag them up and refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready to use.  If you’re ready to use them, then heat a skillet with 1 Tbs olive oil and sear for 45 seconds to a minute per side just to crisp up the outside.

Serve them on top of light, brioche buns with lettuce, tomato and all the fixings.  If you want to add my Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Aioli, mix together in a small bowl: 1 Tbs dijon mustard, 2 Tbs Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup, 1 clove garlic smashed into a paste and 1/4 cup mayo.  Schmear that on your bun and enjoy!

*Original recipe by Joanie Simon (joaniesimon.com)

*Recipe sponsored by Traina Foods, makers of Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup