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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.
This is perfect for me! I cut out beef and pork a few months back and have been craving burgers for a while. The flavors here are amazing… and that whipped feta? I mean, come on!!
YAY!! So happy you liked them Amanda!! It’s so had to out beef!! So happy my recipe can help!!
Thanks for trying them!! (:
I made these tonight, however I had no success frying them. I did put them in the oven drizzled with a little olive oil and slow baked them for a long time, until they got nice and crispy. When I make them again, I think I’ll bake them in mini patties- like a falafel. Sauce was outstanding, but I added just a wee bit of buttermilk to thin it out. Great flavor, thanks!!
Hey! I am so sorry you had trouble frying them. These are extremely delicate burgers and are easiest to fry when formed into smaller patties. Really sorry you had trouble. I am going to adjust the recipe to make smaller patties. I think this will make it easier for cooking. Thanks so much and I am glad you where still able to enjoy them…but again sorry for the trouble!
Yeah I was going bigger than slider size! Will try that. Anyway, I am eating the leftovers, the cooked burgers taste even better the next day!
Ah thats awesome!! Go leftovers!!
What killer veggie burgers, I love the whipped feta!
The feta is A big hit!! I love it to!!
Hi, so I was excited for another cooked quinoa recipe and made these last night. But the texture of the patties was much more wet than just sticky. I even added another cup or so of quinoa hoping to thicken up the “batter” and make sturdier patties. Once cooking them, they browned, but more or less were mushy and could hardly be flipped. I had them a long time in the pan before they were staying together more (so *quite* dark browned). Wondering if an egg whisked in might have helped…
They were still tasty and edible, but more like hash. I just ate the patties for breakfast alongside my eggs, so still a nice breakfast!
I think with oven roasting, the zucchinis just got too wet. Not sure there is a way around that. Maybe I overcooked them, I don’t know. But an edible experiment nonetheless!
Hi Mimi,
I don’t think and egg is what you want to add, I think you probably just want to make patties that are small in size. Think slider size. I am so sorry you had trouble frying them. These are extremely delicate burgers and are easiest to fry when formed into smaller patties. Really sorry you had trouble. I am going to adjust the recipe to make smaller patties. I think this will make it easier for cooking. Thanks so much and I am glad you where still able to enjoy them…but again sorry for the trouble!
These were amazing! But I GRILLED the squashes (3 small zucchini, 3 small yellow summer squash) instead of roasting. I split them in half and slathered the cut half with olive oil, salt and pepper, then grilled on a medium hot gas grill for about 10 minutes fleshside down, then another 5 minutes or so on the other side. This allowed some of the liquid to drain out. And I put them in the fridge for a couple hours before frying in a HOT cast iron pan. They came out great; a little tricky to flip, but otherwise they held together quite well. Also, since it made 10 burgers and we’re only a family of 4, we had them again two nights later and I have to say they were even better after being in the fridge for 2 days. They were firmer and the flavors melded together. So my suggestions to those who had mushy burgers is to grill the squash, make sure you put them in the fridge for a while (even overnight) and use a very hot, well seasoned cast iron pan to cook them. Good luck – these are worth figuring out as the flavor is awesome. And the whipped feta was super yummy too.
This is so awesome! Thanks so much for saying this for everyone else too! I am so happy these were great for you and your family!!!?
Great recipe! If I wanted to make these up ahead of time, could I do everything up to cooking them, and then leave them in the fridge a little longer?
Hey Meredith! Yes, you can prepare these in advance and then just leave them in fridge until ready to cook. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love the burgers!
Oh sooooo yummy! I bet that roasting the zucchini would definitely taste way better in the patty because of the amazing flavors of the charred, crispier edges!
As I have a giant zucchini plant constantly bearing fruit right now, these sound like an awesome idea…maybe freezing the patties too. Im in the camp that simply cannot bare to turn their ovens on. I have found that grilling the zucchini on an outdoor grill will also give them that flavor that makes them
so delicious. What an amazing recipe and whipped feta!!!!
Hi!! Yes!! Outdoor would be delicious!! So jealous of the fresh zucchini!
Thanks Cassandra!
Uau Amazing!!!
Thank you Carlos!
I have so much zucchini from my garden right now. I am cooking zucchini like mad!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
HI!! Sounds like the perfect time to make this burger!!
I love roasted zucchini and I can just imagine how much flavor they could add to veggie burgers-genius! And whipped feta…I could eat a whole bowl of it by myself.
HI!! Let me know what you think when you get to make it!! (: Thanks Megan!!
Beautiful photos of notorious difficult-to-shoot burgers. I am SO EXCITED about this recipe! I want to love most veggie burgers, but I find that most veggie burgers are so HEAVY with beans and instead of feeling good after I eat one, I usually feel weighed down and blah. But THESE! The best veggie burger I ever had at a restaurant used quinoa and kept things light, so I am super-duper stoked about making this.
I want to put fruit salsa on it. Can I put fruit salsa on it? (*knows what you’re going to say* heehee)
YESSS. Fruit salsa would be amazing, so amazing!! I love any and all fruit salsa. YUM! 🙂
I looove veggie burgers and am always on the lookout for new ones to try, I haven’t had a courgette and quinoa one yet so I’ll definitely be trying this, they look lovely and crispy; and I am salivating at the thought of the whipped feta!
Hey Hannah! So happy you found mine!! Hope you love them!! I know you’ll love the feta!! It’s hard not to!!
Wow Tieghan, these zucchini and quinoa burgers are fantastic! I’d eat ’em straight up and be happy, so pairing them with that whipped feta is like a taste of heaven!
The feta is the icing on the cake for sure!! Thanks Shashi!!
Wow do these look good! Veggie burgers are the perfect thing for summer BBQs or parties. I love the flavors in this one and will definitely be giving it a go! Can’t wait!
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
Thanks Julia! Hope you love it!! (:
Can you freeze these and cook at a later date? If so would you cook them from frozen or defrost first?
Hey Pam, I think can freeze these, but I cannot say for sure since I have not tried it. I would cook them frozen, but cook them for a longer time and a lower heat. You could also bake the frozen patties at 350 degrees F. for maybe around 20-30 minutes. Let me know how it goes. thanks!