Order a veggie burger at any restaurant, and you’ll likely get a dry mash-up of grains, soy protein and mushy mushrooms. It could be worse. They might serve a still-frozen black bean burger that you could have easily bought and made yourself (yes, it happened to me). Worst of all, beans may not agree with you, or maybe you’re trying to avoid soy. So what’s a fitness foodie to do when Meatless Monday rolls around?
You make these vegan-friendly Pumpkin-Oat Patties, which are filled with more vitamins and minerals than most restaurants’ entire menu and lack the heart-racing amounts of sodium. You’ll season these “burgers” with chili powder and just a pinch of sea salt. Not to worry, the creamy pumpkin puree and nutty hemp seeds will do most of the talking.
Spicy Pumpkin-Oat Patties
Makes 4 patties
Macros per patty: 163 calories | 21 g carbs | 6 g protein | 6 g fat | 4 g fiber | 0.5 g sugar
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup pumpkin puree or fresh pumpkin, mashed
1 Tbsp. hemp seeds
¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. sea salt
Directions
- In a food processor, pulse ingredients together. Note: If you prefer to have smoother patties, blend the oats and seeds before adding the remaining ingredients. Blend these until broken down and powdery. (I left mine with chunks of whole seeds and oats for added crunch.)
- Divide and form mixture into 4 patties. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake at 300°F for 10 minutes, or until the edges become crispy. The center should still be pretty soft.
Spread hummus on a bun, add a pumpkin patty and then top with a handful of spinach, a juicy slice of tomato and a few rings of onion. Or, do like I do and pair your patty with a bed of spinach and shredded vegan cheeze with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.