Quinoa Burgers with lemongrass creme fraiche
These veggie burgers are the business!! You know how I feel about quinoa - it’s high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B-vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants. Basically it is amazing :) And if you’re vegetarian it should be a staple in your diet.
A good tip for this recipe is to cook the Quinoa in advance as it needs to be cool before forming the burgers.
This recipe makes 3 patties enough for 1 serving. I love the lemongrass creme fraiche as accompaniment to these burgers. Just be aware this recipe makes enough for six portions so keep it in the fridge and you can use the leftovers for other things during the week. If you prefer another homemade healthy sauce then go for it!
Ingredients
For 1 people (
)
Recipe
- 2 inch piece Ginger, peeled and grated
- 70 grams Quinoa
- 120 mL vegetable stock
- 0.5 Zucchini
- 1 spring onion(s)
- 1 Garlic clove(s)
- 1 Egg(s)
- 1 Lime zest
- 1 bunch Fresh Chives
- 2 tablespoon(s) Ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon(s) Coconut Oil
- Sea Salt
- Baby gem lettuce leaves
- Black Pepper
- 200 grams crème fraîche
- 0.5 Lemongrass
- 2 Lime zest
- 0.5 Lime juice
Nutritional Facts (per serving)
- Kcal: 620 kcal
- Sugars (g): 3.7g
- Carbs: 30g
- Fat: 33.2g
- Saturated fat (g): 12.2g
- Proteins: 22.3g
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Directions
- First cook the quinoa
Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under running water. You’ll be tempted to skip this stage, but try not to, or you’ll end up with a bitter residue. - Place the rinsed quinoa into a saucepan of the boiling vegetable stock. Add the turmeric for colour (optional), and simmer for 12-15 minutes with a lid on it until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let the quinoa dry steam in the saucepan with the lid on it on your counter top for a few more minutes. This step eliminates the threat of soggy quinoa. Transfer the Quinoa to a bowl and allow to cool (important step!)
- Meanwhile, squeeze out the water from the grated zucchini and put the zucchini in a bowl.
- Finely chop the spring onion and crush the garlic and add to the bowl with the zucchini.
- Chop the chives and add to the bowl. When the Quinoa is cooled add it to the bowl with the Zucchini along with the beaten egg, lime zest, ground almonds and pinch of sea salt and good grinding of black pepper. Mix everything together well and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to set (you could do up to this stage in advance the night before if you want).
- Put the creme fraiche, lemongrass, lime zest, lime juice and pinch of sea salt together in a food processor and blitz until combined.
- When ready to cook the burgers, use your hands to shape the quinoa mix into 3 patties. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when hot use a spatula to gently add the patties to the pan. Cook them for 3-4 minutes each side.
- Serve with the lemongrass creme fraiche and the baby gem lettuce leaves as your bun!
