Broccoli Burgers
The perfect veggie burger. Easy to make. Full of nutrition. And amazing taste! You’ll be amazed at how everyone gobbles up these gluten-free Broccoli Burgers!
Didn’t eat your veggies today? No problem. The Broccoli Burger has you covered!
While these burgers are not on the same page as a meaty burger – actually, they’re not even in the same book (it’s broccoli already) – they are quite delicious!
When I was first experimenting with these, I was thinking broccoli on a bun didn’t sound that good, so I planned to call them patties and serve them on a plate next to some mashed potatoes. And then, I tried it on a bun. Aaaaaaaamazing!!!
I topped my Broccoli Burgers with tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, onion, and some of this scrumptious Creamy Italian Dressing. Hands-down my favorite meal of the week. 🙂
How to Shape Broccoli Burgers
Ever wonder how to make nice, uniform burgers or patties so they cook evenly and look nice?
A canning ring works really well for this. Simply put a canning ring on your baking sheet, scoop the mixture into the ring, pat down firmly (with fingers or a spoon), and remove ring. Perfect burgers every time.
Veggie Burger Hash?
A note on technique and texture. I make these burgers in a food processor – which is a very handy tool that I also use to make Cranberry Pecan Bars, Oil-Free Pesto, No-Bake Coconut Date Bites, and more. If you don’t have a food processor, I highly recommend getting one. It will save you time and open up a whole new world of easy and delicious foods to make.
Anyway, as I was saying, there is a bit of technique involved with getting the right texture. You want to chop the ingredients in the food processor just long enough so they are coarsely chopped and hold together, but you don’t want to process so much that the mixture turns to mush and your burgers are, well, mushy.
But don’t be nervous. The recipe below gives step-by-step instructions … and even if your burgers still turn out mushy, they still taste really, really good. And if they don’t hold together, veggie burger hash is actually quite yummy.
Leftover Tofu?
The recipe uses 1/3 block of tofu. So, what do you do with the leftover tofu? You could put the remaining block of tofu in the freezer to make this aaaaamaaaazing Sesame Stir fry, or check out this delicious Italian Vegetable Soup … or you could make two more batches of these broccoli burgers and have some in the freezer for later. (See notes in the recipe about freezing these burgers.)
Be sure to buy water-packed, extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Silken tofu, soft tofu, and the tofu sold in those aseptic, shelf-stable boxes don’t work here.
Some Like ‘Em Hot
These burgers taste much better hot than cold. (Cold broccoli? Never developed a taste for it.)
Health Benefits of Broccoli
Broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, cabbage, cress, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy, contain sulforaphane, a natural plant chemical that stimulates the body to produce enzymes that fight cancer.
Researchers have discovered that sulforaphane can halt human breast cancer cells in their tracks, prevent the replication of prostate cancer cells, and dramatically reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Broccoli Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (6 ounces) small, raw broccoli florets`and tender stems
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 medium (2.5 ounce) carrot
- 1 1/2 cups hot, cooked brown rice - If using leftover rice, see note.
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt - scant
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 of a (14-ounce) package extra-firm, water-packed tofu, drained well - Use remainder of the block of tofu in this Sesame Stir-Fry
Instructions
- Place broccoli and water in a medium saucepan, cover, and steam over medium heat until just barely tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place sunflower seeds in food processor and process until coarsely ground.
- Cut carrot into 2 to 3 large pieces and add to sunflower seeds in food processor. Process until finely chopped.
- Add rice, seasonings, and lemon juice to food processor and pulse several times until rice is chopped (but not pureed!) and mixture is well combined and starting to stick together. Scrape down side of food processor bowl as needed to be sure ingredients are mixed well.
- Add broccoli and pulse approximately 10 to 15 times or until broccoli is evenly chopped. There should be no large pieces of broccoli left. Do not over-process or burgers will be mushy.
- With your hands, crumble tofu into very small pieces and add to mixture in food processor. Pulse 2 or 3 times. Do not over process. Over-processing tofu makes the burgers pasty.If ingredients are not thoroughly incorporated, finish mixing by hand.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13-inch x 18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil. Using approximately 1/4 cup mixture at a time, firmly pack into a burger (21/2-inches in diameter) – See note #2. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until burgers are browned on the bottom.Serve hot with Creamy Cashew Dressing.
Notes
>> One quick request: if you like this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. Ratings help more people find these healthy recipes!
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frozen broccoli? I have lots.
Sorry, I’ve never tried these with frozen broccoli. I’m thinking that it wouldn’t work very well, but let us know if you try it.
What do you substitute for tofu? I’m allergic to soy.
Hi Nicki,
I don’t think this burger would work well without the tofu, but you could try one of my other burger recipes that don’t use soy: https://jenniferskitchen.com/category/recipes/burgers-and-patties
Hi! Can you omit or substitute the sunflower seeds?
Hi Perla, I haven’t tried this without the sunflower seeds, but I’m thinking coarsely ground almonds might work. Let me know if you try it.?