Buckwheat Burgers

Have you heard of a food that is a complete plant-based protein, gluten-free, high in fiber, natural and super tasty? Sure you have, but probably in the form of a soba noodle or hot cereal. Let me reintroduce you to buckwheat.

No, it’s not the Little Rascals character, but a delicious nutrient-dense and filling pseudocereal that makes a delicious vegan burger. Buckwheat is bae, seriously! 

I chose Buckwheat for this week’s complete protein because as delicious as black bean burgers are, buckwheat burgers are more nutritionally dense. This may comfort our meat-eating friends who want to switch it up, but not lose too much protein. Buckwheat is also a great source of copper, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

This complex carbohydrate will help improve cholesterol and lowers blood pressure, so it is great for your heart health. Excellent heart health lowers the risk for heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Speaking of diabetes, buckwheat will keep you full longer and digests at a slower pace, stabilizing your blood sugar for a longer time. 

Along with high dietary fiber content, buckwheat helps move food through the digestive tract. The high niacin (vitamin B-3) content helps convert fats, proteins and carbohydrates into useful energy for the body’s cells. This also makes it great for an extra boost of energy needed for a great workout.

Because this meal is filling, I would use it as the most calorically dense meal of the day. You can eat this burger over a bed of leafy greens with veggies. However, as this is a barbecue or cookout recipe for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, I was indulgent. I served on a gluten-free bun with field greens, tomato, green onion and barbecue sauce. 

This recipe was tested with three separate vegan binding agents – ground almonds were my favorite, as it added a toasty flavor. Chia egg (1 tbsp of ground chia with 2 tsp of water to make the raw egg texture) was my second favorite. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free friendly, with a chia egg option if you are nut-free. 

A few other reasons I chose buckwheat as the base of this burger is that it has a great “meaty” texture. It’s hearty, flavorful and it goes a long way. For instance, 1 cup of uncooked groats (yes, groats), made about 8 burgers once cooked. You can feed yourself and quarantined family these thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin K and vitamin B6 filled tasty burgers!

This recipe makes 8 servings, with one burger as a serving. 

You will need:

  • 1 cup of raw organic buckwheat groats
  • 2 and 2/3 cups of almonds (or 8 chia eggs)
  • 2 portabella mushrooms
  • ¼ of a large sweet vidalia onion (my favorite!)
  • ½ large organic zucchini
  • 1 tbsp. of liquid smoke
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsps. BBQ sauce
  • ½ tsp of allspice
  • 2 tsps. of garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp of cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
  • 1 tsp of pink Himalayan salt (I didn’t use the whole teaspoon, but most of it.)

Instructions:

  1. Bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of buckwheat groats to a boil.
  2. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer until tender.
  3. Once tender, rinse oats and let cool while preparing filling.
  4. Dice ¼ of a medium sweet Vidalia onion.
  5. Grate (with a cheese grater, large side) a half of large organic zucchini.
  6. Grind (in a processer) portabella mushrooms and almonds.
  7. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  8. Heat 1 tbps of avocado oil in non-stick skillet.
  9. Make the mixture into patty shape.
  10. Place in skillet. Brown on each side.
  11. Serve on bun or a bed of greens.

This meal is delicious and you don’t have to feel like you are missing out at the cookout this year!

Enjoy this meal made with love!

LB?

Nutritional value of buckwheat patty:

Serving size 1 burger patty

  • 304 calories
  • 7.2 g Fiber
  • 26.2 g Carbs (18.6g Net carbs)
  • 4.7 g Omega 6
  • 19.5 g Fat
  • 11.8 g Protein
  • 9.1mg Vitamin E
  • 0.5 mg B2
  • 102.2 mg Calcium
  • 0.6 mg Copper
  • 2.1 mg Iron
  • 148.5 mg Magnesium
  • 1.1 mg Manganese
  • 282.7 mg Phosphorus
  • 525.0 mg Potassium

Sources:

Medical News Today. (2019). Buckwheat: Health benefits, nutrition, and side effects. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325042.