Crispy Autumn Veg Burgers with Apple Cider Slaw.
It’s very weird to not be talking about pizza or breakfast.
Because I’m pretty sure that all I ate for the last four days was pizza AND breakfast. And popcorn. Kettle corn, to be exact. We bought what can only be described as a large vat yesterday and proceeded to eat the entire thing… on the drive home. Like we were fighting over each others’ hands in the bag. Guess who’s cleaning their car today?
It was so dang good. As was breakfast and pizza but you know.
So these bean burgers. Well.
What I can really only say is an actual miracle, my husband has sort of started to eat some things that don’t contain meat. I don’t even want to talk about it because 1. I’m sure it’s a fluke and 2. he basically only does it when he is either starving or not in the mood for anything, but still… it’s happening. And now that I mentioned it he will probably refuse to eat anything meatless for the next four months. I also think he eats things like this in ADDITION to his meaty meals, so that might be the key. Whatever it is, I’m not complaining. I mean, of course I am complaining because that’s pretty much all I do here, but you know what I’m saying. Bring on all sorts of meals that don’t contain two pounds of beef.
I should have prefaced that all with a disclaimer of, oh…say… I’m not really sure if he’d do this whole bean burger thing for dinner. That seems to be the meal that he considers a real MEAL, but he is willing to accept such a sandwich for lunch, or of course – a snack. I made these one afternoon and he happened to come home, grab one, and eat it. Happily. Plus, they had sweet potato chips on the side which are clearly a vegetable since they are named sweet potato chips so that probably helped.
Huh. He probably considered it a snack. Drats.
Whatev, these burgers are stacked and loaded.
They fall right in my line with my bean and quinoa burger loves – over the last few years they have become one of my favorite weekend dinners, if for only one reason: the recipe makes enough and I get them all to myself, which means I have lots of leftovers and lunches. I will reheat these babies and have another burger, I will throw them in a grilled cheese for a makeshift patty melt, I’ll add them to a salad with a million different toppings or I’ll just eat them plain, maybe dipped in something, with a few things on the side.
Versatility is my middle name. (not really.)
The burgers are an autumn-ed (yeah, see what I did there?) up version of my crispy quinoa sliders, albeit a bit more crisp. And to probably weird you out: I added Brussels sprouts TO the burgers. Yes, inside the burgers. I added apples too.
So there’s that.
But do not fear: these odd additions were sautéed first and then given a heavy handed dose of balsamic vinegar, deeming the savory enough yet still a bit sweet to shove inside a patty of beans and quinoa. Or as predicted: trash up, if you will.
On the top I threw together a quick little slaw, if you even want to call it that. Mostly because I had some leftover apple cider and holy cow – I freaking love apple cider. The amount of recipes I have on my list that include apple cider is ludicrous. But also because while I’ve never been a slaw fan (at least not of the creamy variety, though I must say that I made a killer version a few weeks ago when we smoked some pork), I really enjoy it on sandwiches. It’s probably the crunch and the whole texture thing. You know how important that is to me. What a dweeb I am.
Oil and vinegar slaws are my thing – sort of like a salad on your sandwich – because they give you that tart, briney flavor with a little hint of sweetness.
I actually ate this slaw with a fork, so something must have been done right. I live for the tart, briney flavors. I’d be gleeful in a world full of pickles, olives, mustards and vinegars. Oh so good.
On top of the burger and under the slaw went a bunch of sautéed mushrooms just because it needed something else and well, because… I’m kind of in a mushroom phase. A juicy, garlicky, buttery mushroom phase. We can talk about that more later this week. Wink wink.
Alright. Done be annoying. Eat up!
Crispy Autumn Veg Burgers with Apple Cider Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
- 1 small apple, chopped
- 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced in half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 ounces harvarti cheese, sliced
for serving
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- whole wheat buns
apple cider slaw
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 head savoy cabbage, sliced and chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the leeks, apple and brussels and stir. Add the salt and pepper, stirring well, then cook until the veggies are slightly soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the balsamic vinegar and stir, cooking for another minute. Remove the veggies from the heat.
- Add the veggies to a food processor along with the quinoa, chickpeas and eggs. Pulse until the veggies and beans are in coarse pieces – you don’t want them pureed – and the eggs are combined. Scoop the mixture into a bowl and stir in the flour and smoked paprika until it is combined. Form patties that are about 2 inches wide and almost 1 inch thick – if you try to get them thicker than that, they will probably fall apart. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat. For me, the key to getting veggie burgers to crisp up is to cook them at a slightly higher heat. Add the patties (in batches, if needed) and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and crisp. Reduce the heat to low, add the havarti slices and cook until the cheese melts.
- For the mushrooms, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Assemble the burgers on the whole wheat buns, adding the mushrooms and then the slaw.
apple cider slaw
- In a large bowl, whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, honey, oil and salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and toss well until the greens are combined. Taste and season additionally if desired. You can make this ahead of time – I like to make it first and let it sit in the fridge until serving time. Just make sure to toss well before adding to the burgers.
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long live fall!
88 Comments on “Crispy Autumn Veg Burgers with Apple Cider Slaw.”
Um, what? Amazing. These look SO good. Even though they have brussels sprouts, which I think I might actually be starting to like thanks to recipes like this. (btw I wholeheartedly approve of the amount of cheese on that burger…)
Never mind the meat, I could down these burgers any time of the day. I find bussels need a bit more love when it comes to eating them but I think it is well worth it. Love the dressing for the slaw, so creative!
Wow! I am so into this burger! What a awesome combination of veggies!! Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That looks delicious! I think I’ve already decided I’m too lazy for the grocery store today, but I’m saving this one for later in the week. It just might be hearty enough for my husband to not complain about a meatless meal. Or he could also consider it a snack. They’re all crazy…
You have just put Brussels sprouts in a burger. You are my hero!!!!
Yeahhhhhhhhh! I love your veggie burger recipes!!! And I am down with the apples and Brussels sprouts IN the burgers. Once I stuffed turkey burgers with apples and gouda. It was a good decision so these will top those I’m sure!!! I’m totally forcing veggie burgers on my family this week.
I am obsessed with oil & vinegar coleslaw right now — I don’t know where it came from, but I’m not fighting it! So delicious!
How freaking fun are these?! LOVE this recipe Jess!!
I love the mushrooms on top and the brussel sprouts and apple in the burger!! Holy heck, yes!!
These burgers look beyond words good. I love quinoa burgers. Have you ever seen this funny video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcQmBCM3JMs
These burgers look delicious. I love the combination with the apple cider slaw!
These look wonderful! And love the addition of tangy slaw (I hate the mayo variety as well–only vinegar based for me!). These need to go on my never-ending list of things to make in the next few months!!! :)
Vinegar slaws are where it’s at! I also fully intend to serve this to my carnivorous husband without mentioning the whole, um, “veg” thing and see what happens. If he doesn’t bite, more leftovers for yours truly.
I think I just cried tears of joy. Really :)
LOL. I did, too. I might eat my computer.
ughh I have the “eat something other than meat” fight with my fiance allll the time!! so glad to see you are starting to win – it’s the little victories, ya know?
Girl, this is my dream burger!
Uuuuuuugh my mouth hurts from wanting this so bad.
want this in my face now.
Yum Yum Yum!! Where do you come up with this stuff. So creative in the kitchen, thanks for sharing.
Wow these look so scrumptious! I love the ingredients in the burger too, I’ve never met a brussel sprout I didn’t like!
oo those mushrooms…. oh those bean burgers!!! They look delicious!
Love the idea of apples in a burger. And those mushrooms? That’s all the convincing I need. Those giant bags of kettle corn are possibly the most dangerous snack in the entire world. Holy addictive batman.
I’ve never tried apple cider slaw before and now I must recreate this. Looks delicious!
Oooh, I’ve been looking for a great new veggie burger recipe!
I am loving every single ounce of this!!! YUMMMMM
This looks delicious! I am thinking my carnivorous hubby may even try these..and like them. Yum!
I want to shove my face with these all week long… perhaps I will!
These look amazing! I’m a veggie burger fanatic. Do you think flax eggs would work well as a substitution for chicken eggs? The patties themselves would be vegan if they didn’t have eggs!
i’m honestly not familiar enough with flax eggs to be sure they’d work here… I’ve used them before but never in burgers/patties. If you try it, let me know! I would think they’d still taste great, the only issue may be them holding together.
Ok Jessica…I had to do a double take and check to make sure I was on the right website! Are you getting to be a veggie convert? LOL! I’m actually lovin’ every ingredient including the Brussels sprouts! Thanks for a great recipe – AGAIN!
What an awesome burger!!!
Drooling. I am constantly looking for ways to get more veggies into my diet and these look amazing!!! I have a quinoa intolerance so I am going to give these a go with bulgar. Look amazing!! Thanks for the inspiration!
These sound so delish and I’m always looking for variations on a typical black bean burger or the like — do you have any tips for flipping though? I always have issues with the patty starting to come apart, and I’ve tried freezing them beforehand but then it becomes harder to cook them all the way through without over-charring them — any tips??
Now if I could only get the motivation to get off my butt and go out to buy the ingredients!
These look DELICIOUS. I want one for lunch right now!
From a distance I thought this was a beef burger and I got all disappointed because I am a vegetarian. But it is in fact a veggie burger, yay!!
Your veggies burgers never cease to impress m e!
the apple cider slaw alone might convince my boyfriend to eat this meatless burger. I am going to have to try this this week! thanks!!
What the hell is a flax egg? That sounds wrong. EGGS!
I’m starving and delirious. Sorry.
i needed a variation in the worst way. i am finally sick of black bean burgers, well at least for this week.
http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-best-kind-of-date-night.html
Oh, yum! This is looks super tasty and I love all the ingredients!
Oh goodness, this burger! Totally veggie magic. I want a dozen!
I love how many mushrooms you piled on! Love em!
And Ive said it before and I’ll say it again, you make the best looking veg burgers!
Are you in phoenix? Cause im coming over for one right now. Ha
I don’t know where to start. I am speechless. I just wish it was because my mouth was filled with this!
it’s seven in the morning and now i want a burger. this looks delicious!
xo, cheyenne
apple cider in your slaw is a stroke of genius! nicely done!
I have a confession… I have never purchased balsamic vinegar. It’s one of my most favorite things, but for some reason it’s intimidating me! What kind are you supposed to buy??? Aged? Or regular (is there a regular, I don’t know…)? Please help me.
Wow. These look so amazing! I think I could even convince my meat-loving husband to eat these!!
That melty cheese is stealing my heart.
Hello….wow *fabulous* recipe….have book-marked this for sure! Just need to swap out the eggs and cheese for the VEGAN substitutes…..Thanks and cheers, Valerie.