Vegetarian or not, I love a good veggie burger.
I love veggie burgers cooked crispy on the outside and soft on the inside allowing all the flavors of the vegetables to mingle.
These Wasabi Veggie Burgers don’t disappoint with the addition of wasabi to complement both the cumin and beetroot. If spicy is not your thing you can cut down on the amount used and leave out the chili.

This recipe makes for a soft burger mix so a light hand is needed for the shaping and cooking stages.
They will try to “spread” a bit due to this but they can be brought back in line with a spatula for shaping. I would not grill these on a BBQ unless using a flat griddle as they will quickly fall apart and disappear into the char-coaly depths.

I used canned Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans in the recipe but you can use dried, cooked peas if you prefer, just keep the weight the same.

The burgers were cooked on the stovetop but often, because I’m lazy and like to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner, I’ll stick them in the oven.
They take longer and can spread a bit but they end up the same in the end.

I also used cooked beetroot but you could use uncooked. If you do that I’d recommend finishing the burgers in the oven for 10 – 15 min. at 180°c so that the beets cook all the way through.

Veg. substitutions are too many to name but grated carrot and celeriac in place of courgette would work incredibly well with the cumin and wasabi.

Lastly, I made a yogurt and mint sauce to accompany these spicy little numbers.
It is a simple recipe that ends up being a perfect partner for a great little burger.
You could use mint sauce instead of fresh mint or some grated cucumber to make an interesting addition.

Enjoy!