Ingredients
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500 millilitres Water
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1 tablespoon ecological vegetable stock
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150 millilitres barley
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100 millilitres red lentils
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275 grams beetroot
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1 Onion
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½ Garlic
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150 millilitres oatmeal
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Fresh thyme and other herbs
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Salt and pepper
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Oil for cooking
Directions
Vegan burgers and especially beetroot burgers are all the rage these days. Even McDonald’s has now a permanent vegan burger on their menu. However, we believe McDonald’s vegan burger can’t really compete with an organic beetroot burger cooked at home.
This beetroot burger recipe was submitted by the City of Oslo and is part of a unique cookbook published by the European Commission that promotes sustainable food practices in the European Union. The cookbook has a couple dozen recipes submitted by 21 European Green Cities that are fighting food waste and promoting healthy food choices.
Oslo, the Norwegian capital city, has been designated as Europe’s Green Capital in 2019 – an award that recognizes the tremendous efforts the city has done to clean up its waters, promote organic, healthy food, and fight against pollution.
This beetroot burger recipe was highlighted as having a low environmental footprint, and being easy and quick to prepare. All ingredients of the original recipe are organic.
How to Make a Beetroot Burger
- Mix the water and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
- Add the barley and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Pour out any remaining water.
- Peel and chop the beets, onion and garlic. Use a food processor and crush until coarsely grated.
- Add a mixture of the lentils and the barley and crush a while longer.
- Put the content into a bowl and add the oatmeal. The dough should not be dry.
- Season with thyme, salt and pepper as you please.
- Leave the dough in a cold place for at least 30 minutes, to let it set, making it easier to cook.
- Warm the oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Shape burgers with your hands and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side.
- Serve with loads of home grown lettuce, spinach and sprouts, if available.
Photo credit: Claire Winfield from The New Nourishing by Leah Vanderwelt. Check out Leah’s cookbook for a ton of delicious vegan recipes.
