This is another recipe where you can use a lot of in-season ingredients from the farmer’s market. I was able to find mushrooms, scallions, spinach and carrots at our local Farmer’s Market in Matthews. And slowly but surely locally grown potatoes and bell peppers will be available as well. This is also one of those 
recipes that I consider “flexible.” If you don’t have any carrots on hand, then leave them out. If you would rather spend less money on a green bell pepper vs. red then go for it. If you prefer a sweet potato over a white potato, it would be the perfect substitution. My point is…there are no excuses to not at least try these burgers!
As mentioned in the title, once assembled, these veggie burgers do freeze well (layer them between sheets of wax paper before you sauté them). I usually special order a dozen honey whole-wheat hamburger buns from Great Harvest, which I store in the freezer as well. Then on any given day I don’t feel like cooking…voila! We can have an instant, homemade, healthy dinner. But before you jump the gun, I do want to mention that these veggie burgers don’t hold together quite as well as the meat version so I would not recommend throwing them on the grill. Enjoy!
Veggie Burgers made with Homemade Breadcrumbs
(another meal you can freeze!)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup corn, or frozen, no need to thaw the frozen ones
- 6 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 2 green onions, coarsely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, or green, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, red
- 1 small potato, peeled and chopped into big chunks
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs, see recipe link below
- ¾ cup cheese, grated, I used cheddar
Instructions
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In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
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Add the corn, mushrooms, scallions and bell pepper. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
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While those veggies are cooking put the peeled potato into a food processor (with the regular slicing blade, it is not necessary to use the grating blade) and chop it up into fine little pieces.
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Scoop the potato out onto an old, clean dish towel and twist it tightly over the sink to squeeze all the liquid out of the chopped potato.
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Meanwhile, add the garlic, cumin and cayenne to the veggie mixture on the stove and cook for 30 more seconds.
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Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped spinach which should wilt slightly.
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Next, add all of the vegetables to the food processor as well as the egg, bread crumbs, and cheese. Process until all items are blended together well (scrape the sides as needed.)
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Use your hands to scoop up some of the mush, then form it into the shape of a burger. Place them on a plate lined with sheets of wax paper until you are ready to cook and/or freeze them.
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Using the same non-stick skillet, heat 2 more tablespoons of olive over medium heat. Cook the burgers on both sides until brown (being gentle when turning them over).
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Toast hamburger buns if desired and serve!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Homemade Breadcrumbs
When I get around to making these breadcrumbs I usually make a big batch and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. This way, it isn’t such a pain when a recipe calls for breadcrumbs. I used to buy the store-bought variety (by Progresso), but when I recently looked at the label and lost count of the number of unpronounceable ingredients I decided never again on those! As a reminder, it only takes a few simple ingredients to make bread.
Click here for the breadcrumb recipe.
Update: We’ve since found a decent store-bought alternative made of 100% whole wheat, but we still make our own, too.
Homemade Breadcrumbs
How many burgers does this make? Do you cook your burgers before you freeze them? How long are they good for in the freezer…a couple of months? Thanks for this recipe…I can’t wait to try them!
Depending on the size of the burgers this recipe can make between 10 – 15 burgers. Also, you do not saute them before freezing them. I think they should last at least 6 months in freezer if they are stored properly. Good luck!
I discovered last weekend that homemade breadcrumbs are a *perfect* use for those bread machine loaves that just don’t turn out. I was so glad not to have to waste a loaf (even though the birds missed out on a meal!).
Delish! Was a little bit of work, but worth it. Hubby said he could eat it every day. Even our 5 year old picky eater liked it. It did not weigh us down, and gave us energy after we ate. This will become one of our regulars.
Thanks for the recipe and for such a wonderful website!
You have so many great recipes on your website, but it is not easy to find the old ones. I think it’s time you set ip a search function. I had to really dig to find this one, but I know it will be worth it!
Thank you
Just tried these burgers out and they came out quite well! I had to mix and match a bit with the recipe but other than that followed the recipe accordingly. Do you always freeze before cooking? I tried it out just mixing everything together and cooking right then – but had trouble deciding exactly when it was cooked through. Any suggestions?
Thanks for posting!
I don’t always freeze before cooking them…if your cooking temp isn’t too high they should cook all the way through by the time they brown on the outside. You could always cut one open to check for doneness.
I made these last night for my family, and they were the most amazing healthy thing I’ve ever eaten! My son loved it until he found out it was made with veggies then he insisted that it wasn’t tasting very good. Although he complained he did eat the entire burger. I also made some garlic potato wedges in the oven to give it a more fast food type feel but without all the bad stuff. Thank you again for your blog, I’ve been following it for quite awhile now and decided I should post on the things I make!
I made these last night and both parents and kids enjoyed them! Thanks for the recipe! Question — while the exterior was crisp after sauteeing them, they were still very “mushy” on the inside and “squished” out of the buns (great harvest honey whole wheat) when biting. Is this the right consistency or should they be more firm inside? I didn’t do homemade bread crumb because Whole Foods has prepared whole wheat bread crumbs w/just 3 ingredients. They are finely ground…could that be it? Thnx!
I don’t think the breadcrumbs could be the issue you just might need the temperature lower when cooking so it can cook all the way through before the outside gets overdone.
How long do the homemade bread crumbs store for? Pantry or freezer?
They will stay in the freezer for months!
We are trying to plant a garden this year, what brand of seeds do you recommend? I have seen some at different grocery stores that say organic but I’m not sure how organic they really are. Any information you could give us would be great! Thanks!
Amber
I think the important thing is to get seeds from a reliable source that you trust. We have a hardware store here in town that has become a great source for vegetable plants/seeds/tools etc. It’s actually their main business now and they are always great at answering questions plus they know the origins of their products. I will say though if the packet says it’s USDA organic then it’s probably fine!
I made these tonight and OMG! They were delicious! I am new to the -no processed foods- way of life, but I was so excited to find this site. My 3 yr old completely cleared his plate and my 2 year old ate most of hers. It was great! Thank you so much for this recipe and for the whole website! Truly inspiring.
Just made these this evening and my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed them! They are a bit of work, but definitely worth it. It’s hard to believe they are veggie burgers! I did have a little trouble with my patties binding, but manged to do okay in the end. Very tasty recipe – I will definitely make these again!
My husband was skeptical, but as he got his second burger he declared that this recipe is a keeper! LOL. What’s even better, my three-year-old ate a huge burger too! The older two were another story, but in changing from processed junk to real food, that’s to be expected. I love that you can adjust this recipe so easily. I had a summer squash that needed to be used so I threw it in (and omitted the mushrooms because I’m allergic). Next time, I’ll double and freeze a bunch. Thanks again, Lisa!
These were delicious but totally fell apart while cooking. Where did I go wrong?
I am so sorry to hear that…did you follow the recipe exactly?
2 bunches of scallions or just 2 scallions?
2 scallions. Jill
These were so good! I didn’t mind that they were a little squishy because they tasted amazing! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I followed the recipe exactly and mine are complete mush. When I tried to turn them they just fell into a pile. Not patty shaped at all. The mix tastes good, I really wished they turned out! Can you think of what I might have done wrong?
Hi Madison. I wish I could give you a better answer but they actually do come out somewhat crumbly. They shouldn’t have completely fallen apart, but, they are not going to be like a burger made with meat that holds together real well. Sometimes I find when I turn them that I can kind of put them back together again after the flip and then they’ll stay together once fully cooked. Jill
I spent a lot of time today making homemade WW bread crumbs and then these vegie burgers. Yes, they tasted good, and they held together when cooking and were quite crispy on the outside, but the inside was MUSHY. I cooked them for 30 minutes. Not sure where I went wrong – I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi Naomi. I guess I find mine a little softer on the inside as well. Maybe you could try cooking them a little longer over a lower heat next time. Jill
Hi Lisa! Love your recipes. So I was wondering if a person can omit the mushrooms or if a substitute of something could be used. We have found that my son is intolerant to mushrooms :( But I would really love to try these.
Thanks so much!
Hi Candice. Yes, you can either omit the mushrooms or substitute something else in for them. Jill
Hi! I love your blog, and I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Just curious if you’ve ever considered giving times for your recipes—as in, approximately how long it takes to prepare each one? Maybe you have included that info somewhere and I’m missing it? In any event, I have more time to cook some nights than I do others, so I think it would be helpful to know how much time to allow. Also, this might be a silly question, but what’s the best way to defrost these veggie burgers after you’ve frozen them? In the fridge for 24 hours? Or would you just throw them in the skillet right out of the freezer? Thanks for your help… and for all the great info on real, unprocessed foods!
Hi Jennifer. Unfortunately, we don’t provide that type of information for our recipes. In terms of the burgers, I think you could do either one. Obviously, if you are cooking the burger frozen it will take a little bit longer. Jill
Husband absolutely loved these… thought they were bar none the best veggie burger he had ever eaten. I used corn, onion, carrots, sweet potato and spinach. 3 year old wasn’t much of a fan although the green of them put her off from the start. Did get her to eat a few bites and will try again another time. I really think it was the color not the taste. I had no issue with them falling apart, had to be careful but they cooked up just fine although like others said, they were mushy in the middle.
Tried making them and they wouldn’t stay together…. What did I do wrong?
Hi Ann. They are a little bit crumbly, I agree. Maybe try adding one more egg. Jill
They still tasted awesome though!!
Hi, I just made the breadcrumbs and they are not grinding up the way that I want them to. Some have ground up really small and others are a little big. I am going to make the homemade chicken nugget recipe on this blog, so I need the whole wheat breadcrumbs to be pretty small. Any suggestions? I let the bread get stale and dry out in the oven. Help!?!
Hi Heather. Are you using a food processor to grind them? That’s what I use and I have not had a problem before. Jill
For how long can I keep the homemade breadcrumbs? How long does it take for it to spoil?
Hi Tici. You can freeze them and keep them for months. ~Amy
Hi! My husband and I just made these for dinner tonight. They were so good! This recipe will definitely be one of our regulars. I was wondering, however, if we cook some and freeze the rest, how should we cook the patties we freeze? Do we need to thaw them first? Your website has been so helpful. Thank you for all of the recipes and great information!
Hi Crystal. Glad you are enjoying the blog. Just thaw the patties overnight in the refrigerator and cook as instructed. Enjoy. ~Amy
I’m allergic to mushrooms is there something else I can substitute?
Hi Angela. Though I have not tried substitutions in this recipe, you might try black beans or garbonzo beans. ~Amy
I was wondering about the potato in the veggie burger recipe. Do you use it raw?
Hi Diane. Yes, the potato is raw. ~Amy
I freeze all of my stale bread and bread crusts. Do they still need to be cooked in the over for 1-2 hours or could I just process them in the food processor?
I made these tonight and loved them! My boyfriend ate two! I looked through the comments but didn’t notice anyone asking about the carrots. They are listed as an ingredient but from what I can tell aren’t mentioned in the cooking steps. I realize the exact ingredients are flexible but I thought I might point it out in case it was an error. Maybe i’m just missing something. Thanks for the great recipes, and please keep them coming!
Carrots are included in “add all the vegetables” in step 7 – glad you enjoyed them!
So you add the carrots raw?
Hi. I add them raw to the food processor but if you prefer to cook them a bit with the other veggies (step 2), you can.
Okay, so when you put all the vegetables into the food processor, this is including the raw chopped up union? Reading the recipe, I was wondering where does the raw chopped up potato go?
Yes, the vegetables includes everything! Sorry for the confusion :)
Sorry, I meant to say potato.
I am not sure what I did wrong…I followed all the directions and squeezed out the water from the potato, and it is so runny I can’t make burgers at all out of it. :( I am still going to try, because I think the flavor will be good, but I am sad that they are so runny. Any suggestions???? What do you think I did wrong?
Hello Michelle. Oh, sorry your first try wasn’t successful. I can’t be sure what went wrong but you should definitely give it another try. ~Amy
I tried these too and like Michelle mine were so runny it didn’t work.this tends to happen any time I make a veggie burger or meatball…whether I use beans, lentils or mixed veggies like this. Could I be over processing it?????
Hi Christy. It is possible to over process. It should be the consistency of a pastie mush. Also, I’ve learned that if you’ve rinsed ingredients, like spinach, and it was still wet or if you used canned corn and it wasn’t drained that bit of extra moisture can effect the outcome. Using a low or no fat cheese (which we highly discourage anyway) will also not work well in the recipe. ~Amy
I’m interested in making breadcrumbs- how long will these last before spoiling?
Hi Amanda. You can freeze breadcrumbs and not worry about spoilage. ~Amy
Will the raw potato cook ?
I really like most of Lisa’s recipes, but I didn’t think this was worth the trouble.
Having a tough time frying these! Any ideas for baking in the oven??
No matter how low the flame I feel like they get too brown and then stay soft in the middle.. Maybe just my pan or stove. Perhaps I need more bread crumbs??? I feel like 3-4 mins wasn’t enough time to cook the water out of the mushrooms/peppers + frozen corn…
However…..
They do taste delicious! 5 stars for taste 3-4 for trouble cooking— it’s prob just me.. But I love to cook! Have the Whole chicken in the crockpot and the raisin bread in the bread maker :) thank you for the great recipes!!!
Hi Catherine. When cooking the burgers, it does help to use a good fry pan where heat is evenly distributed. You could try a little more cook time for the veggies if moisture was an issue. I have baked these in the oven on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 400 for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. I do prefer them cooked on the stove top, however. ~Amy
Any suggestions on what I can use to substitute the corn? My daughter has a corn allergy – which is why we are now cooking everything from scratch – but I really need to find ways to vary her diet. Thanks!
Hi there. You could leave it out or up the amount of one of the other veggies. I’ve gone heavier on mushrooms. I’ve also added black beans because I have a ten year old who won’t eat them with corn. :) ~Amy
Is the potato cooked or raw?
Hi Beki. It is raw until you put in on the skillet. ~Amy
Hi!
Could I use Panko?
Hi Renee. You can. I have and it binds nicely. You can also find whole wheat panko now but I’ve not found one that falls within the confines of the pledge rules. :) ~Amy
My paste seems really runny. Is that ok? What’s the consistency supposed to be like?
we need a video on this one. Flavor is great but I had a mushy mess. I squeezed out the liquid from potatoes as much as possible but maybe not enough? Possibly over processing? Not sure. I’ll try again for sure, but it’d be nice to see what the consistency should look like. Thanks for keeping our family supplied with great recipes.
Hi. When you cook these from frozen do you thaw them first or just put them straight on the skillet? Thanks!
Hi. I cook mine prior to freezing then, typically, thaw them overnight before reheating them on the skillet. ~Amy
I’d like to make some veggie nuggets with homemade breadcrumbs. I’d like to season them with cheese maybe and spices but they never taste even good :P. Do you have any recommendations for some homemade “Progress”-like breadcrumbs? :)~
Hi Heather. We not tried “fancying-up” our breadcrumbs. If you do, please share. :) ~Amy
How long do the crumbs last. Can you recommend best way to store? Thank you
Hi Christy. You can keep them in the freezer for up to a year. ~Amy
I AM LOOKING FOR A RECIPE FOR,QUINOA BURGERS. DO YOU ANY SUGGESTIONS THANK YOU
Hi there, Jan. Lisa does not but I do :) http://spunkyavocado.com/black-bean-quinoa-burgers/. I stand by their yum factor. They are my fave.
You don’t mention what to do with the potatoes after wringing out the moisture?
Hi Audrey. I think it is covered in #7 of the instructions, where it says to add ALL the veggies to the food processor. :)
My mixture was also VERY runny so I couldn’t form it into anything, it just ran right through my hands (I think this is because there was too much moisture in my potatoes and veggies still. So next time I will make sure to let them dry longer!)!
I was contemplating adding more bread crumbs but I didn’t want to alter the delicious taste!
So I looked up how to make veggie burgers stick together and found this great site:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/tricks-for-making-veggie-burgers-that-wont-fall-apart/
There are some great tips here! Including; adding bread crumbs if your “mush” is too runny:)
So I added a little bit at a time until I reached a consistency I could form, but didn’t fall apart, and the result was a delicious veggie burger that was nicely browned on the outside and soft on the inside, but not mushy!
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!! I’m so glad I found a way to remedy my mistake!!