Make Quinoa Burgers Totally Vegan With A Homemade Egg Alternative

Veggie burgers have come a long way since the store-bought Boca burgers of the '70s. Today, vegetarians and vegans alike can enjoy delicious patties made with quinoa, a nutrient-packed powerhouse that delivers protein, fiber, and iron. It's a convenient veggie-friendly burger ingredient that can be mixed with black beans, spices, and other vegetables to produce a delicious dish. The only problem? Many quinoa burger recipes call for an egg to bind everything together, which isn't so ideal for vegans.

It's completely possible to make your patty 100% plant-based, however. Just like with many vegan baking recipes, you can switch out the regular egg for a flax egg. In this alternative, pulverized flax seeds and water are combined to create a gelatinous substance that can bind ingredients together. As a bonus, the flax egg will also give your patty added moisture. And whether you're vegan or just trying to consume less animal products, you can rest easy knowing seeds and water are the only components that make up this egg substitute.

Luckily, making a flax egg is almost as easy as cracking a real one into your burger recipe. You'll need to stir a tablespoon of ground flax seeds together with 3 tablespoons of warm water, and let the mixture sit for up to half an hour so the former can absorb the latter and become nice and goopy. You can use cold water too, but warm water will speed things along. 

You may want to make your egg substitute as the first step in your cooking process, so you can work on the other ingredients while the flax and water meld together. If it takes awhile to get your other veggies and spices prepped, don't worry — the mixture can sit out for up to an hour without any repercussions.

Once your flax egg is good to go, you can use it as a 1:1 swap for the real thing in a quinoa burger. Most recipes call for more than one egg total, so you may have to double or triple your flax concoction to meet the quota. When it's nice and gelatinous, combine it with your quinoa, veggies, and any other ingredients just like you would with regular eggs, then form patties before cooking. Your veggies will be moist and glued together, so you won't even miss the real thing.