Veggie Burger Week: Greek Quinoa Burgers & Tzatziki

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In honor of veggie burger week, I wanted to make a healthy and filling veggie burger that would stand out from the typical Morningstar or Boca Burgers you'd find on the shelf. I also have been going through a bit of a Quinoa "phase" and have obscene amounts of it taking over my cabinets. I first saw a recipe for Quinoa Patties on Two Tarts. I wasn't crazy about the combination of herbs, so I decided to change it up by putting a Greek spin on it. I swapped in fresh dill, scallions, feta and served it with tzatziki sauce (tzatziki recipe at the bottom of the post). I was so happy with the result and even happier that it made enough for lunch all week! I found 2-3 patties were more than enough for a meal.

To make the Greek Quinoa Veggie Burgers you will need:

2 cups of cooked quinoa

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp chopped scallions

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup of fresh feta cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon of salt
Extra virgin olive oil

First, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. I like to cook my quinoa in broth, either vegetable or chicken broth, because it adds a lot more flavor. But if you don't have any on hand, water will do just fine. Once the quinoa is cooked, set aside to cool. 

Then chop up all of your fresh herbs. As I said, I used dill and scallion, about a small handful of each, but you can substitute these with any fresh herbs of your choosing. 

If you bought a block of feta, chop it up into small pieces. I used a Bulgarian feta because it was half the price of the Greek feta and I like the creamy consistency.

Combine the whole eggs, scallions, dill, feta, bread crumbs, and salt into a large bowl and mix it all together with a fork until it is all mixed together. You don't have to beat the eggs separately, just mix them in with everything else. The cheese should break into slightly smaller pieces. Then, mix in the quinoa and stir until it is evenly distributed. 

Form the mixture into small patties. I made mine about 2 inches in diameter so they were more like sliders, but you can make them bigger for a more traditional-sized burger. 

In a large frying pan, heat a small amount of olive oil- just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan- over medium heat. Then place a couple of the patties into the pan and brown for 3 minutes on each side. 

After they are golden brown on both sides, I placed each on a piece of paper towel to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining patties. The whole thing took about 30 minutes from start to finish- quick and easy!

There are as many tzatziki recipes as there are Greek mothers, but here is mine. In a large bowl combine:

• 1 pint of Greek yogurt (I used fat free, but go with your preference)
• 1 large handful of fresh chopped dill
• 3 large finely minced cloves of garlic
• Lemon juice from one half of a freshly squeezed lemon
• 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 cucumber- cut into quarters, scoop out the seeds, and cut into thin slivers

Mix it all together and serve along side the Greek Quinoa Burgers! It will be even better if you make it 2-3 hours ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve! 

Thanks for joining us for veggie burger week! If you didn't get the chance yet, check out Amanda's Black Bean Burger recipe!