Loaded Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Herby Yogurt Sauce

Renew your love affair with veggie burgers with these healthy, fiber-packed and completely delicious sandwiches. You can make the veggie burger patties, freeze in a plastic bag (separate the patties with wax paper), defrost and cook when ready to eat. This recipe makes 4 burgers.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes

Ingredients
For the yogurt sauce:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the burger patties:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

For the crispy onions:
1 sweet onion, sliced into thin rings
2 teaspoons flour
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the burger assembly:
4 whole-grain buns, split and toasted
1 large tomato, sliced
Handful of baby spinach leaves or greens

Directions
Make the yogurt sauce: Fold all ingredients together in a nonreactive bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the veggie patties: Add the black beans to a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add the quinoa, tomato paste, spices and breadcrumbs; fold well to combine. Shape the mixture into 4 patties with your (clean) hands. At this point, you can either freeze for future use or refrigerate the patties to firm up while you make the crispy onions.

To make the crispy onions, preheat your oven to 375 F. Spray the bottom of a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Add the onions to a large bowl, add flour and toss with your hands, making sure to coat all of the onions with the flour. Arrange the onions in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, until the onions become brown and crispy. Remove onions from the oven and set aside.

To cook the burger patties, heat a large nonstick skillet to medium-high and add the oil. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes on one side; flip, and cook for 4-5 minutes on the second side. Remove from heat.

To assemble the burgers, place one patty on the bottom side of each bun; top with greens, tomato and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Add the top half of the bun, serve and enjoy!