Edamame Burgers

When making a party or dinner for friends, I always like to keep in mind what everyone eats so that there are enough choices for all my guests. These days people have all different types of eating patterns, so it can be a challenge to meet everyone’s needs. Vegetarians in particular are a very diverse group. Some types of vegetarians are:  pescetarians who eat fish; lacto-ovo-vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy; flexitarians who mostly eat vegetarian, but occasionally eat meat; and vegans who don’t eat any meat, poultry, fish, dairy, or eggs. It sure is hard to keep up!

One of my friends is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and on top of it she’s allergic to cheese and most nuts. While she does eat some dairy and eggs on occasion, she has trouble getting enough protein into her diet. She was coming over for the cocktail party last weekend, and while we had hummus with veggies and pita, I knew there wouldn’t be enough for her to eat, so I decided to make a vegetarian dish (of the lacto-ovo variety). These Edamame Burgers are based on fellow dietitian Karen Ferries’ recipe that I recently saw in the ADA Times (a publication for dietitians). They are full of protein and vegetables, and are kept lower in fat by using egg whites, rather than whole eggs, to keep them together.

Andy, a meat lover, was skeptical, but he absolutely loved them! I doubled the recipe to make mini-burgers, but the original recipe below will make about 4 full-size burgers, which are great for a veggie dinner. They were great served with caramelized onions, and a lemon-jalapeño mayonnaise that we made using our CSA jalapeños (email me for those recipes if you’re interested)!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole shelled soybeans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• Zest from one lemon plus juice from 1/2 lemon
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used a mix of regular and whole wheat)
• 3 egg whites, beaten until frothy
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup soybeans (reserve rest), scallions, bell pepper, celery, lemon zest and juice, and breadcrumbs. Stir in egg whites (reserve 2 Tablespoons).
2. Pulse reserved soybeans and egg whites in a food processor until coarse. Add to other ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Divide and shape mixture into 3/4-inch thick patties. Saute patties in olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet for 2-2 1/2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Gently pat sides of patties with a spatula to help keep shape. Season as desired

Note: When making the mini-burgers, they can easily fall apart, so make sure to keep patting the sides to keep them together.

Nutrition Facts (per 1 full-size burger): 220 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 370 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 12 g protein

Do you have a favorite vegetarian dish?