(Gluten Free, Dairy Free (optional), Meat Free | Paleo-Friendly) The ingredients of these veggie burgers may surprise you, but they are a perfect way to make your winter veggies into something a bit different! I was lucky because everything I needed for them came in my Kent Veg Box last week so everything was fresh, fresh, fresh! YUM! The hearty burgers will fill you up and kill that comfort food craving in all the right (healthy) ways. My friend who doesn’t even like Brussels sprouts gave them his stamp of approval so don’t be afraid to try them yourself! These go great with sweet potato or swede fries. For tomorrow’s packed lunch, I threw a leftover burger with the extra veggies on a bed of salad.

Ingredients for Burgers

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 200g (½ lb.) Brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced in half
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
• ¼ tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 185g (1 cup) cooked quinoa (I cheated and bought the ready-made quinoa)
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 40g (1/3 cup) gluten-free flour or ground almonds
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Favourite cheese (if you’re not dairy free)

 Ingredients for Serving

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 56g (12 oz) sliced mushrooms
• Slices of courgette (zucchini)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Whole-wheat buns, gluten-free buns or a salad/cabbage (I was feeling extra carb-free so I used cabbage leaves as a ‘bun’ –no judgment here if you use a proper, whole grain bun instead, though!)

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the leeks, parsnips, apple and Brussels sprouts 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.
2. 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. (I don’t have a food processor so I just split the ingredients in parts, put them in blender and dumped into bowl to mix all together in the end. This did unfortunately mean that my burgers were a bit more pureed than they were meant to be).
3. Scoop the mixture into a bowl and stir in the flour and smoked paprika until it is combined.
4. 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.
5. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
6. Add the patties (in batches, if needed) and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and crisp.
7. Reduce the heat to low, add the cheese slices (if you’re having) and cook until the cheese melts.
8. For the mushrooms and courgette (zucchini), heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and courgette and stir. Cook until they’re soft, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
9. Assemble the burgers on whatever base you’re having and pile with mushrooms and courgette. Enjoy! x

Source | How Sweet It Is: Crispy Autumn Veg Burgers with Apple Cider Slaw