If you do not already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~3/4 cup cooked.

Finely Chop Red Onions and Mushrooms and set aside.

Add Walnuts to food processor and Pulse to make walnut meal (finely chopped)

Add cooked quinoa, beans, mushrooms, onion & shredded beets to walnut meal continue to pulse and combine all ingredients then add spices and stir. For even more flavor, add a shake of vegan worcestershire or A-1 sauce (optional). Taste and adjust, adding more salt for overall flavor (we added another 1/4 tsp).

Set in the fridge to chill while your oven preheats to 375 degrees F (190 C) (skip this step if cooking on the stovetop – see notes).

Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 1/3-cup sized patties (8-9 patties // adjust if altering batch size). I use a peanut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape (a tip I learned from Iowa Girl Eats). You can also just take handfuls and mash them into loose patties.

Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping after 25-30 minutes. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve more crisp, but it’s not necessary.

Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens salad with desired toppings.

* I personally sear burgers on griddle or frying pan 2 min each side until browned and then pop them in the Air Fryer on 350 for approx 15-20 minutes (you can also do this and then cook in oven for the 25-30 minutes.