Roasted Veggie Burgers with Carrot Ketchup
Roasted Veggie Burgers with Carrot Ketchup are my choice when I am craving vegetables and a burger at the same time! While I cannot stand veggie patties (you know those dried-out mushed-up beef-burger-wannabes that are barely held together with grains and whatever?) these “burgers” hit all the right notes. It’s a wonderful vegetarian sandwich of stacked roasted vegetables, laced with melted cheese and topped with homemade carrot ketchup. Sounds amazing, does it not??
The beets and sweet potatoes add a delicious natural sweetness and with the earthy base of roasted eggplant and slightly salty roasted zucchini, you have the start of a beautiful love affair. Muenster cheese is layered between the roasted veggies and heated in the oven until nice and melty.
While the vegetables are roasting, make the carrot ketchup by combining the sliced carrots, onion, figs or apricots and garlic and cooking them in some olive oil until they are softened. Add the white wine and some water and simmer until the carrots are very tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients and, in a blender, purée until smooth. You now have an amazing homemade ketchup that is great on regular burgers too!
Once the vegetable stacks are heated through and the cheese is melted, transfer them to a toasted poppy seed bottom bun, top with lettuce leaves, sliced dill pickles and a schmear of carrot ketchup. Top with the bun and dig in. It’s messy…don’t forget the napkins!
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Roasted Veggie Burgers with Carrot Ketchup
Makes: 4 burgers
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced on a mandoline 1/8-inch thick (see Chef’ Notes)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 large red beet, peeled and sliced on a mandoline 1/8-inch thick
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced on a mandoline 1/8-inch thick
- 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 dried figs or apricots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 1 1& /2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground fennel
- 8 slices of Muenster cheese
- 4 poppy seed buns, split and toasted
- Red-leaf romaine lettuce leaves or mixed baby greens and sliced dill pickles, for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. On opposite ends of one baking sheet, separately toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the eggplant and zucchini with salt and pepper and spread each vegetable in a single layer. On opposite ends of the second baking sheet, separately toss the beet and the sweet potato each with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer. Roast all of the vegetables until tender, about 10 minutes for the zucchini and about 25 minutes for the remaining vegetables; rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking. Let the vegetables cool slightly. Keep the oven on.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the carrots, onion, figs or apricots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and 3/4 cup of water and simmer over moderately low heat until the carrots are very tender, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar, fish sauce, Worcestershire, soy sauce, ground ginger and fennel. Scrape into a blender and let cool slightly. Puree until very smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if necessary. Season the carrot ketchup with salt and pepper.
On a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, make 4 stacks of 2 eggplant slices. Top each with 1 cheese slice, 4 to 6 slices each of the sweet potato and beet, the remaining cheese and 4 to 6 zucchini slices. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the veggie burgers are heated through.
Place the burgers on the bottom buns and top with lettuce and pickles. Spread the carrot ketchup on the top buns, close the burgers and serve.
Chef’s Notes:
Vegetables can be cut by hand if you don’t have a mandoline.
The carrot ketchup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Recipe by Food & Wine
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