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White Bean and Rutabaga Burgers

I recently created these white bean and rutabaga burgers, and they quickly became one of our family favorites. Unlike many commercial veggie burgers they are gluten-free and soy-free – yet still full of that yum factor!

We enjoyed them for dinner tonight on thick slabs of heirloom tomatoes – with young greens and peppery nasturtiums. We spread Romesco sauce on top (recipe in my cookbook) and paired with Turmeric Kraut by Real Pickles brand. But any presentation, any side dish, and any condiment, even ketchup, would be great with these veggie patties.

If you decide to make these gluten-free, soy-free veggie burgers – please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

White BeaGluten-free soy-free burgers served with heirloom tomatoes and romesco sauce
White Bean and Rutabaga Burgers

Are Rutabagas and Turnips the Same Thing?

Rutabagas are an often overlooked, but awesome, root vegetable. My local market had them mislabeled turnips this week, which is a common mistake. They are in fact a hybrid of cabbage and turnips. Once you try them out, you’ll see that there are clear differences between the two varieties. Rutabagas grow larger, are more golden in color, and they’re sweeter than turnips. Don’t get the wrong idea though, they aren’t sweet like a sweet potato. They’re savory-sweet and mildly bitter.

Part of the cruciferous family, rutabagas are a good source of vitamins C and A, folic acid, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. They contain anti-cancer properties, and anti-oxidants.

Medium sized rutabaga against a wite background

Method Overview

  • Steam the cubed rutabaga.
  • Make a “flax egg” in a food processor.
  • Add cannellini beans, carrots, parsley, cooked rutabaga, garbanzo bean flour, and spices.
  • Pulse, then stir; repeat.
  • Form into patties and fry in a skillet.

No food processor? No worries. You can use a potato masher to rough mash the beans and rutabaga instead. Just don’t create a smooth paste; leave it chunky.


Carrots and Parsley from our garden

I needed carrots and parsley for this recipe. We happen to have them in our garden tucked beneath row covers – so I picked these today! Even though it’s still winter in New England, these crops are vibrant. I explain more about it in another post I just wrote called It’s Time to Plan Your Garden and Buy Seeds. It includes a photo of our parsley patch protected by a row cover.

White BeaGluten-free soy-free burgers served with heirloom tomatoes and romesco sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

White Bean and Rutabaga Veggie Burgers

Course: main course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: corn-free, gluten-free, nut-fee, plant based, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan, wheat-free, yeast-free
Servings: 4 burgers
Calories: 242kcal

Equipment

  • food processor, or potato masher
  • skillet, preferably non-stick

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rutabaga, about 3 cups cubed
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika of your choice, I prefer smoked paprika for this recipe
  • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, avocado oil, or olive oil

Instructions

  • Steam the rutabaga cubes until very tender when poked with a paring knife.
  • In the meantime, put the ground flax seed and water in your food processor bowl. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to create a "flax egg."
  • Add the beans, carrot, parsley, flour, paprika, salt, and cooked rutabaga to the food processor.
  • Pulse for a couple of seconds, then stir with a soft spatula to move the contents around. Repeat this step (pulsing and stirring) two or three more times. The idea is to chop up some of the beans and rutabaga but not all. You don't want a smooth paste by any means! If you don't have a food processor, use a potato masher to create the same effect.
  • Turn the batter into a bowl and mix briefly with your hands, then form the batter into a mound. Cut the mound into quarters. Form each quarter into a fairly thick patty.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat with a bit of the batter. When it begins to gently sizzle add the four patties to the skillet. If you use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet you will need to use more oil so the patties don't stick to the pan.
  • Cook on the first side until golden brown, flip and cook until golden on the second side.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 997mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3303IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 5mg
Close up of gluten-free soy-free veggie burgers
White Bean and Rutabaga Burgers

If you enjoy this recipe you may also like my Broccoli Rabe with White Beans recipe.

8 Comments

  • Donna L Markow
    February 18, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Hi Judy, sorry that I can’t rate your recipe yet, but, it looks fabulous. I love rutabaga, and yes, always thought they were turnips. I will be trying soon. I’m very happy to see your new blog, and, of course, I will be following you.

    Reply
    • Judy DeLorenzo
      February 19, 2020 at 2:32 am

      Hi Donna! I’m glad you found my new blog and welcome dear friend 🙂

      Reply
  • Bethany
    February 29, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it the first time, but it reaches a whole new level with tomato and romesco. (Only had Kashmiri chili powder on hand. Delicious if you like more heat.)

    Reply
    • Judy DeLorenzo
      March 1, 2020 at 1:44 am

      Hi Bethany! Ahhh you’ve made it twice already 🙂 I’m so happy you’re enjoying this unusual take on veggie burgers. Yeah I love serving veggie burgers on thick slabs of tomatoes, especially fresh picked garden tomatoes. Summer can’t come fast enough lol.

      Hummmm Kashmiri chili powder – that’s new to me. I’ll have to look it up! Sounds exotic.

      Reply
  • Restaurant Clicks
    June 12, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    Well… consider yourself added to my blogroll. I have like six other blogs I read on a weekly basis, guess that number just increased to seven! Keep writing!

    Reply
  • Allison R
    October 24, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Judy
    Found this delicious recipe and wanted to try today. Can I substitute sweet potato for the beans? I have so many rutabaga and sweet potatoes from the garden and wanted to do something together rather than a mash. Wondering about the consistency. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Judy DeLorenzo
      October 24, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Hi Allison. Hummm I think that will be okay. I would cube the sweet potatoes and steam them separately (not with the rutabaga). The reason I say this is because they’ll be done at different times. You don’t really want to overcook the sweet potato or it will just become mash in the food processor. If the batter is too wet, you can add more garbanzo bean flour to stiffen up.

      Please let us know how it turns out!

      Reply

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