Quick & Easy Beet Burgers (Veggie)

Believe it or not, Nashville boasts the BEST veggie burger I've ever had coast to coast. This epic burger is the proud creation of Sunflower Cafe, in a sweet little neighborhood called Berry Hill. Let me tell you, it.is.a.DELIGHT. I crave its addicting combination of textures and flavors...plus, I always feel amazing after devouring it with a side of steamed sesame kale.

Unfortunately, I don't have said veggie burger at my disposal nearly as often as I'd like, so I finally mustered the courage to create my own version. My goal wasn't to copy Sunflower—why mess with perfection?—but I used a few of their ingredients as a jumping off point. Beets, carrots and jalapeño add sweetness, moisture and a refreshing flavor contrast to the dense oats and chickpeas. To save myself and y'all prep time, I stuck to spices instead of the aromatic themselves (think mincing garlic and onions).

I resisted the chef-urge to cook each veggie separately to intensify flavor, because I've turned off by countless overly-complicated veggie burger recipes. This tactic would have been for naught had the recipe been bland...but indeed, they are fabulous! My fiancé and I were so impressed with them, and he went back for seconds (my barometer). Truly, these babies check all of the Veggie Burger Boxes:  they're delicious, they hold together, they're super easy to make and they're filling from fiber and plan protein!

My favorite combo with these patties is avocado, local tomatoes, spicy mustard and bibb lettuce on an Ezekiel sprouted bun. But I also enjoyed them sans-bun, cold over greens and that also made me a happy camper. If you love yourself a good VB and you want to stick to the comforts of home, give them a try!