Oh, hello vegan burgers that actually taste delicious! There is just so much goodness in these little patties, that even meat lovers will appreciate them too.
What I love about them:
1. They are high in fiber and protein.
2. They have a great texture (no falling apart or squeezing out of your bun when you take a bite)
3. They are easy to make. Just watch this short video recipe that I made for Poggio del Farro, a Tuscan farro producer.
Let’s chat about what’s inside:
Organic Whole Grain Spouted Einkorn Grains
Einkorn is one of the three types of farro grains:
- Einkorn
- Farro (also called Emmer)
- Spelt
If you can’t find einkorn grains the other two can easily be substituted.
I used sprouted whole grain farro because they have more nutrients than regular whole grain farro. Here is an interesting article by Harvard Medical School for more on the sprouting process and health benefits.
Cannellini:
I love cannellini beans. You’ll find these white kidney beans in a lot of Italian recipes like minestrone or “pasta e fagioli” (pasta & bean dish). They are hearty with a mild taste and even help you to lose weight! On my way to dropping those last few baby pounds, hooray!
Beets:
Bring on the antioxidants, the bright color and the wonderful taste of beets! Mr. Italicano used to hate beets because he had only ever eaten them boiled—how boring! Then I introduced him to: beet soup, beet salad, beet crepes, beet pasta and beet hummus. He’s now a super fan of this superfood. I can’t wait to make beet baby food for Baby Italicana in a few months. Oh man, it’s going to be fun to experiment. ❤
Speaking of little Pepper, for Easter we took her on a road trip to Tuscany where we rented a lovely airbnb in the hillsides overlooking Florence with our friends Mario, Monica and their 2 year old daughter, Agata. If the weather had been nice, we would have spent the entire trip hanging out by the pool and BBQ outside. It was only sunny the morning we were leaving. Ahh, that view!!! ❤ ❤ ❤
As luck would have it, it was windy and rainy so during the day we ventured out for a road trip to nearby Chianti (not bad for Plan B!) We drove along the Strada del Chianti which is a scenic road lined with cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves for as far as the eye can see. We stopped for lunch and went wine tasting at Badia Coltibuono , an organic wine producer located in an abbey built in 1051. Oh Italy, you and your amazing historic sites.
I love the idea that Mr. Italicano and I are sharing with Pepper our passions for traveling, adventure and new experiences. Not only are these moments great for us, but for an infant they are a huge opportunity to learn and grow. Monica told me that whenever they went away on a trip, Agata achieved some kind of new milestone when they got back. This proved to be true also for Baby Italicana. The following day, she laughed for the very first time!
And, so, I’ll leave you with this video that hopefully brings a smile to your face as it did ours.
Thank you for following me into the kitchen and with me in life. ❤ If you try these vegan sprouted einkorn burgers, snap a photo and tag Italicana Kitchen on social media or leave a comment below. I love hearing from you! Happy Cooking!
- For the Vegan Burgers:
- 1 cup (150g) sprouted einkorn grains (or farro or spelt grains)
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons (32g) ground flax seeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 cup (100g) raw walnuts
- ½ tablespoon (4g) chili powder
- 1 tablespoon (8g) paprika
- 1½ teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper, plus more for coating burgers
- 1½ cups (150g) rolled oats
- 2 cooked beets (250g)
- 1¼ cups (230g) cooked cannellini beans (weight of the drained beans if using canned)
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Bun and toppings:
- 6 bakery hamburger buns
- 2-3 avocados, pit and skin removed and mashed
- Mixed salad
- For the Vegan Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup soy yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Pinch of salt and a few good cracks of freshly ground black pepper
- Add the sprouted einkorn to a pot. Cook according to package directions.
- In a small bowl, add the ground flax seeds and water. Stir and set aside.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent but not brown.
- Add the walnuts, chili powder, paprika, salt and rolled oats to the food processor. Blend for 1 minute until all the ingredients are well chopped. Pour this mixture into a large bowl.
- When the einkorn is ready, drain, then add it to the food processor along with the cooked beets and cannellini beans. Mix for 1 minute until combined.
- Add the einkorn/beet mixture to the bowl with the rolled oats. Add the flaxseed mixture and stir all of the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. If the mixture seems too sticky, blend ½ cup more oats and add it to the mixture (you could also use bread crumbs).
- Divide the mixture into patties the size of your buns. (It will make 6 large patties). Sprinkle on top salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet, wait until the oil is hot, then add 3-5 patties to the skillet. Let the patties cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. If they are starting to brown too quickly, lower the heat. Carefully flip the vegan burgers and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the vegan yogurt sauce: add the soy yogurt, parsley, chives, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir well and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To plate: toast the buns, spread some of the mashed avocado on the bottom of the bun. Top with the vegan burger, a dollop of vegan yogurt, some salad and the top part of the bun. Enjoy!
- This is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare the patties and yogurt sauce ahead and store in the refrigerator, then cook the patties and serve with the rest of the condiments when ready to eat.
I made this recipe for Poggio del Farro . Although we often collaborate with this company, this specific recipe is not sponsored by them.