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It’s burger season!!
Do these roasted zucchini burgers excite you guys as much as they excite me? For some reason burgers seem so summery to me. Roasted zucchini, garlic, quinoa and whipped feta. It’s a winning combo that definitely gives the beef burger a run for its money…well, I mean, if you’re open to veggie burgers of course! 🙂
With the 4th of July quickly creeping up on us, I figured it was time we start talking cookout eats. I still cannot believe the 4th is only a little over two weeks away, but it is, so we need to get chatting about it!
We’ll start off with these burgers and move our way through one epic menu. I’m pretty excited about it.
Alright, I can’t lie, these burgers are a little more work than your typical beef burger, but the flavors are unbeatable. Good news is that if you’re looking to prep your meal ahead of time these patties can be made and kept in the fridge for a day or two and then cooked up just before serving. That’s always an added bonus, right?!
Here’s how these go, you’ll need to start off by roasting your zucchini, summer squash and garlic. Sorry, but the roasting step is mandatory and is what adds all the flavor to these burgers. If you have yet to experience roasted zucchini (wait, who has not had roasted zucchini?!?), THIS is the summer to do so. I know you may hate turning on your oven, but promise, it’s worth it. Roasting the zucchini brings out the sweetness and the charred edges add a really nice texture.
Anyway, so you roast your zucchini and then mix it with some quinoa. DONE. See, not so bad, but you HAVE to roast the zucchini. And, you also HAVE to chill the patties before cooking them or they will be too soft and will not hold their shape. Other than that, they’re pretty easy to throw together, just kind of time-consuming do to the roasting and the chilling. Like I said, so worth it though, and you can do everything in advance. Cool!
OKok, so that’s the patties, they’re delicious and healthy and quite possibly my new go-to veggie burger for the summer. But now… can we please just talk about the cheese?!?!
WHIPPED FETA.
Yes. It’s so good. Think about feta, but then think about it in a more creamy, spreadable way and think about it seasoned with a little fresh dill and roasted garlic. I know, I know, TOO GOOD! And when paired with a zucchini burger?
Very Mediterranean, right? My favorite!
For once I kept my toppings really simple, but… these would be great with a fried egg. Just sayin.
Actually, you should totally do the fried egg. Everything is better with an egg. <–truth.
Oh and um, speaking of eggs? You guys all know how we have chickens, right? Well for those of you who don’t… we do. And tomorrow we are adding a rooster to the bunch. Did you guys also know that the chickens literally live right outside my kitchen window and right underneath my bedroom window?
They do.
Ahh huh, are you seeing where I am going with this? Looks like I will be getting the daily five am wake up call. YIKES. Dad and I just spent the last five minutes listening to roosters crow…double YIKES.
Guess I will not need that alarm anymore, huh?
Oh well, a rooster means more chickens, which means more eggs, which means more fried eggs for my burgers. Yep, I can deal with that. 🙂
Roasted Zucchini Burgers with Garlic Whipped Feta.
Servings: 10 Burgers
Calories Per Serving: 455 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini cut into 2 inch chunks
- 3 medium yellow summer squash cut into 2 inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic left whole (1 clove for the burger and 3 for the whipped feta)
- olive oil for drizzling
- kosher salt + pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to your taste
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 4 hamburger buns toasted
- lettuce tomatoes and or sliced avocado, for serving
Whipped Feta
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- zest from 1/2 a lemon
- milk to thin, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together the zucchini, summer squash and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, salt + pepper and toss well to coat. Place in the oven and roast for 45-50 minutes or until the squash is softened and golden all over, making sure most of the moisture has been cooked out of the squash. Turn the squash around halfway throughout cooking.
- Remove from the oven and allow the squash to cool. Remove all but 1 clove of garlic from the pan, reserving the 3 remaining cloves for the whipped feta. Add the roasted squash + one of the garlic cloves to a food processor along with the paprika, cayenne, quinoa, panko and basil. Pulse to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Pat the zucchini mixture into 10-12 even size patties. The mixture will be sticky, but do your best to form the patties. Once all the patties have been formed, place them in the fridge to chill, at least one hour or up to 1 day.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add 2-3 patties at a time and cook until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes, flip and cook another 5-8 minutes or until firm. Repeat wit the remaining patties. Note: these burgers are delicate, be careful when flipping.
- To serve, spread the bottom of each warmed bun with whipped feta (see recipe below). Top with a zucchini burger, sliced avocado, tomato and other toppings. Add your top bun. EAT!
Whipped Feta
- In a food processor, combine the feta, greek yogurt, olive oil and the reserved 3 cloves of roasted garlic from above. Puree until completely smooth and creamy, scrapping down the sides if needed, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, dill and lemon zest. Pulse to combine. If needed, thin with milk. Serve with the burgers.
Notes
*Adapted from Food and Wine June 2016 issue. *If you are having trouble frying these I recommend one, either forming them into small, slider size patties for easier flipping OR two, baking then in a 400 degrees oven for 35-45 minutes or until firm and crisp, flipping them halfway through cooking. Allow the patties to sit 5-10 minutes before assembling the burgers.
I think… if not, I will drown my tiredness in a big bowl of whipped feta. All the cheese (and fried eggs) please.
