I had a middle-satisfaction level harvest from the garden last week of some pretty ‘rainbow’ variety beetroot. They have done well to survive this year after late frosts, constant bird attack and the recent heatwave and were pleasingly tasty so it seemed appropriate to give them a proper send off rather than just chuck them in a salad.
I’m a big fan of beetroot, particularly when they turn up in lesser spotted locations, by which I mean not pickled on the side of a cheese sandwich. We’re cutting down on the meat in our household at the moment and trying to get in at least 4 or 5 vegan meals a week between us. There are reasons for this, which I wont be going into now, but this lead to the creation of these pink and spicy vegan burgers which made a happy Saturday night tea indeed.
If you grow your own beetroot it’s best not to keep them out of the ground too long I always recommend picking and using as quickly as possible as they can shrivel and lose flavour pretty quickly. This is less of a risk if you have real monsters which will stand to being stored in a cool dark place for a while. I also LOVE using the greens as they are so packed with flavour but if you’ve been spraying your homegrowns for bugs make sure you’ve left them untreated for a while before picking (check your spray instructions) and wash them very well before using.
Boomboom Beety Beanburgers
Makes 4 Burgers
175-200g fresh raw beetroot
1 can cannelini beans
1 bunch coriander
Sriracha hot sauce
Juice of half a lime
Plain flour
Salt & pepper
Remove the greens from the beetroot (if using) and wash well, set aside.
Drain and rinse the cannelini beans and blitz with the lime juice and plenty of salt and pepper. If you don’t have a blender you can mash with a fork for a chunkier finish.
Grate the beetroot and finely chop the coriander and mix together with the bean mash and add a little hot sauce to your taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
When ready to cook, have a little taste of the mix to check the seasoning. If in doubt, don’t add more hot sauce but serve on the side as over-heating the flavour mix isn’t easy to fix and you don’t want to kill the sweetness of the beetroot.
The mix should be fairly solid and easy to shape into 4 pattys. Dust these in flour then fry in a medium hot pan until golden on each side. Try not to turn them too often as they can start to break up.
If you have the greens, stirfry these at the last minute in some coconut oil with plenty of black pepper right before serving alongside some potato salad or in a bun with more hot sauce!
Variations- You can make up the beetroot weight with carrots if needs be and coriander haters can use any hearty fresh herb of choice. For a more substantial but non-vegan coating on the burgers dip them in beaten egg before dusting in flour. Some goat cheese on top is also a winning finisher.
Food. Boom. 
We’re growing beetroot and all I ever make is chips! Ours are tiny not near big enough to pick but when they are ready I’ll try these, Thanks.