I’m sure it’s pretty clear from looking at my page that the majority of my recipes veer towards the sweeter side of things. As bad as I am at measuring ingredients for sweet treats though, I’m ten times worse when it comes to savoury meals – the amount of times I’ve thrown things together for a lazy dinner, expecting mediocracy and achieving Greatness, is truly criminal. But I never learn, and so it’s hard for me to recreate these dishes for myself, never mind share them on my blog. Plus I usually cook them when it’s too dark to take good photos, and savoury meals just aren’t as pretty (yes, I really am that shallow). But, I truly do love cooking savoury meals – I’m determined to be that wife/mum that’s known for amazing dinners! And I’m being genuine when I say, these homemade veggie-filled turkey burgers are 100% making ‘the list’.

I don’t tend to eat a whole lot of meat, but a good burger is hard to beat. I originally wanted to make these with chicken mince, but honestly just couldn’t find it in my local supermarkets. I don’t dislike turkey mince per se, but I can’t say it fills me with excitement – or at least it didn’t until now. From a health perspective, turkey is a great option because it’s such a lean source of high-quality protein, as well as a good hit of certain B-vitamins, selenium, zinc, and some iron. While a juicy beef burger is always welcome on my plate, red meat tends to be higher in saturated fat, so switching to chicken or turkey burgers on occassion is a good idea.

The real champion of these burgers though is the hidden veggies. If you’re a purest, I know it feels like I’ve just ruined the entire concept of a burger with that last sentence. Listen – I feel you. Just stay with me a second. While adding additional plant-based ingredients into your meals is fantastic for your health (and this may be enough incentive for some), the number one reason I even came up with this recipe was actually to use up leftover vegetables in a way that tasted delicious. I can’t tell you how often I hear people tell me they point-blank stopped buying veg because they “always go off and go in the bin”. Food waste is one of the number one stressors on our environment, and so if you care about climate change in any capacity, we have to get smarter about using up leftovers. I can’t think of a better way than a big, juicy turkey burger – can you?

If you want to recreate this recipe, feel free to make it exactly to my suggestions (because they’re delicious and nutritious), but if you have other vegetables that need used I urge you to use those either as well, or instead of, the vegetables I used. These are also a great way to get extra vegetables into your kids (or carnivorous husband).

Have some lemon or eggs needing used? Make these burgers even more delicious by pairing it with my homemade Turmeric Mayo.

“Put it all in” turkey burgers

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: Main Meals, RecipesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

burgers

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

These turkey burgers are a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your meals and reduce food waste, without compromising on taste. They’re packed full of flavour, are super juicy, and high in lean protein and micronutrients. What’s not to love?

Ingredients

• 500g turkey mince (2% or 7%)

• 1 courgette, grated

• 1 large or 2 small carrots, grated

• ~7 mushrooms (~150g)

• 1/2 medium brown onion

• 2 stalks celery

• 1 fresh red chilli

• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1tsp dried coriander (or a handful fresh, finely chopped)

• 2tsp smoked paprika

• 1tsp onion powder

• 2tbsp wholemeal flour

• 1tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

• 1 egg

• Salt and pepper to taste

• To Serve (suggestions):

• Burger buns; rocket, lettuce or kale; tomato; mayo, sweet chilli or barbecue sauce; avocado; cheese

Directions

• Start by prepping all the vegetables. Once you have grated the carrot and courgette, you need to squeeze out the extra water by wrapping the grated veg in a clean tea towel (or kitchen roll) and squeezing over the sink. Then place them into a large bowl.
• Next, extra-finely chop the mushrooms, onion, celery, and fresh chilli. This is easiest in an electric chopper or food processor but can be done by hand. Transfer into the bowl along with the carrot and courgette.
• Preheat the oven to 180C. While the oven is heating up, finish the burgers by adding the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mixing well to combine.
• Separate the mixture into patties. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and start grilling the burgers on a medium-high heat. Cooking time will depend on how thick you’ve made the burgers and your stove, but should take ~5 minutes on each side. Aim for a golden exterior and a fully cooked middle (no pink!).
• Once the burgers are cooked through, transfer into a large ovenproof dish and place into the oven for 5-10 minutes to ensure the burgers are fully cooked through.
• Serve immediately as desired, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Otherwise, can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.