Vegan Pinto Bean Quinoa Burger Patties

Of all the foods, I still struggle to eat beans as often as I should. These were the most difficult food item for me to add in as I was going plant-based as my digestion really struggled. I went for a slow and sustainable introduction of legumes and I am pleased to say that I no longer have any issues digesting beans but those early years of going plant-based were really the years that I learned how to cook healthfully and I developed a lot of the meals that are still my go to’s today and they are not very heavy on the beans. I have actually been working on adding more beans and legumes to my diet for the last 2 years. I have made huge improvements but still think I can do even better. Burger patties are an awesome way to eat more beans. There is an abundance of plant-based burger patties on the market today and I have tried a lot of them and to be perfectly honest I don’t like most of them. There are a couple that I do really like but they are highly processed and not as healthy as many others so I don’t like to have them very often at all. I have also tried to make various burger patties over the years. I do enjoy homemade ones a lot more than store-bought but my problem with them is that they are quite difficult, time-consuming and messy to make. I find myself avoiding burger patties because I hate making them. These particular burger patties are the easiest ones I know how to make. They also happen to be my favourite. They only use a handful of ingredients and don’t require any machinery which means the clean up is a lot more manageable. I am in the habit of precooking large batches of grains and freezing them. I always have a bit batch of pre-cooked quinoa in my freezer which I just defrost in the microwave. Having the quinoa cooked ahead of time really makes these burgers very quick.  If you don’t like quinoa, you can sub cooked millet for this recipe too which has a very mild flavour. I like them both but quinoa is a higher protein option. I sometimes double or triple the batch I make and keep the rest in the freezer for quick burgers for another meal. They have an Italian/Mediterranean vibe to them because of the tomato paste and herbs and I love that. These are safe flavours that my whole family enjoys (especially me). The burgers are also gluten-free and vegan.

I’m also so lucky to have a friend that makes the most delicious and healthy organic bread including these wholemeal spelt burger buns featured in the photos. She has a small-batch local bakery called Living Loaf that delivers locally. It’s actually been hard for me to promote meals like this on my Instagram as although I think the quality of bread has improved dramatically over recent years, buns and rolls are still pretty average healthwise. When I lived in Townsville I found a local baker that did wholemeal sourdough organic buns and bread and so I relied on them. Since moving to Newcastle a few years ago I’ve just been experimenting and searching and I’m happy I have found my solution now! I encourage everyone to look for a wholesome bakery in their local area and get quality bread as much as possible. 

Get the recipe in my new book “Eating for Hormone Balance: a Plant-based Guide” Click this text to purchase.