Farro and White Bean Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are a great meatless option for barbecues and gatherings, but also refrigerate well once cooked for meatless meals throughout the week. This recipe comes to us from from Plant-Powered for Life by Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian.

Makes 10 servings (1 patty, bun, and lettuce leaf, and 2 tomato and avocado slices each)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (156 g) uncooked farro
• 3 cups (711 ml) water
• 1 teaspoon reduced sodium vegetable broth base
• One 15-ounce (425 g) can cannellini beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained (liquid reserved), or 1 3/4 cups cooked
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 cup (70 g) finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup (110 g) grated carrots (2 medium)
• 1/4 cup (29 g) chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 1/3 cup (52 g) uncooked old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium herbal seasoning blend
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of sea salt, optional
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Ten 1 1/2-ounce (43 g) whole grain buns
• 10 lettuce leaves
• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced into 20 slices
• 2 avocados, sliced into 20 slices

Directions:

Place the farro in a pot with the water and broth base. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cook for 35 to 40 minutes, and drain any leftover liquid.

Place the cannellini beans in a mixing bowl and mash slightly with a potato masher, until thick and lumpy. Mix in the cooked farro, onions, mushrooms, carrots, walnuts, oregano, chives, oats, bread crumbs, herbal seasoning, black pepper, turmeric, and sea salt, if desired. Combine the ingredients using clean hands, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved bean liquid to make a thick yet moistened mixture that sticks together. Chill for about 1 hour.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Form patties out of ½ cup of the bean mixture with your hands, mashing the ingredients together so that they do not crumble. Carefully place 3 to 4 patties at a time into the hot oil and cook for 6 minutes on each side, turning carefully. Repeat, adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with each batch of patties, until all the patties are done.

Serve each patty with 1 bun, 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 2 avocado slices.