Wild Rice Veggie Burgers with Herbed Ricotta

🧂 Ingredients

• 8 oz (230 g) whole-milk ricotta
• 2 garlic cloves

  minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh at-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or dried oregano
• leaves from 1 sprig dill, chopped

  or ½ teaspoon dried dill
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ⅔ cup (120 g) wild rice

  rinsed
• 4 cups (960 mL) vegetable stock, plus ¼ cup (60 mL)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion

  finely diced
• 2 celery stalks

  finely diced
• 3 carrots

  peeled and finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves

  minced
• leaves from 2 sprigs dill

  chopped
• ⅓ cup (75 g) tahini paste
• 2 Medjool dates

  pitted
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1½ teaspoons yellow or Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup (15 g) bread crumbs
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 regular buns, split

  or 16 slider buns

Instructions

• 1 Prepare the Herbed Ricotta: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta,
  garlic, parsley, basil, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in
  an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• 2 Prepare the Veggie Burgers: In a large saucepan (with a lid) over high heat,
  combine the wild rice and 4 cups [960 ml] vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
  Turn the heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain,
  transfer to a large bowl, and let cool slightly. Note: I reserved ¼ cup cooking
  liquid and used this as the remaining broth quantity for the tahini date paste.
• 3 Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the
  onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the
  garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and
  fold in the chopped dill.
• 4 In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the tahini, dates, oregano,
  cayenne, mustard, and remaining ¼ cup [60 mL] vegetable stock and blend until
  smooth.
• 5 Add the tahini-date paste, the bread crumbs, and the sautéed vegetables to the
  bowl with the wild rice and fold together until combined. Transfer to an
  airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• 6 Using your hands, shape ¼ cup [65 g] of the mixture into a ball and then gently
  flatten into six full-size patties or 1-inch [25 mm] thick sliders. Transfer the
  patties to a plate and continue to form patties with the remaining mixture. Cook
  right away or cover and refrigerate the patties for up to 24 hours.
• 7 Cook the burgers: Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat. Arrange the
  patties on the grill, cover, and cook, flipping once, until warmed through, 12
  to 15 minutes. If you are making full-size (roughly 6 burgers), it is best to
  cook these on the stovetop, as they are quite delicate: heat 1 teaspoon of olive
  oil per burger in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, covered, for 4
  minutes on each side or until browned and warmed all the way through.
• 8 Place each patty between a bun and top with herbed ricotta. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info