Hearty Wild Rice Veggie Burgers with Creamy Herbed Ricotta: A Flavorful Plant-Based Recipe from Vegetarian Heartland

As the weather warms and the promise of summer cookouts draws near, it’s the perfect time to fire up the grill and celebrate with delicious burgers. But this isn’t just any burger; we’re kicking off the season with a truly special creation: an incredible wild rice veggie burger, generously topped with a rich, herbed ricotta. This recipe arrives just in time for Memorial Day weekend, offering a fresh and flavorful alternative to traditional fare.

These aren’t your average, flimsy veggie patties. These hearty and elegant wild rice veggie burgers are a symphony of nutty, flavorful wild rice, an abundance of fresh, vibrant vegetables, and aromatic herbs. What truly sets them apart is their ingenious binder: an amazing tahini-date paste that not only holds everything together beautifully but also infuses the burgers with a subtle sweetness and depth, making the patty itself entirely vegan.

The inspiration for this culinary masterpiece comes from a source I deeply admire: my friend Shelly Westerhausen’s phenomenal new cookbook, Vegetarian Heartland: Recipes for Life’s Adventures. Set to be published on June 20th, this book is already making waves, and I was incredibly honored when Shelly reached out a few weeks ago, inviting me to be part of her blog cookbook tour.

For years, I’ve been an ardent admirer of Shelly – the creative force behind the popular blog Vegetarian Ventures. Her innovative plant-based recipes and her stunning food and lifestyle photography have always captivated me. It’s a genuine privilege to showcase a recipe from her upcoming book, and I’m thrilled to share a glimpse into what makes this cookbook truly exceptional. Throughout this week, a select group of fellow food bloggers will also be sharing recipes from Vegetarian Heartland, offering diverse tastes of its bounty.

Exploring the Heart of Vegetarian Heartland: Shelly Westerhausen’s Culinary Journey

While my husband Connor and I moved to Chicago only two years ago and I’m still discovering the nuances of Midwestern life (despite my best efforts to feel like a true local!), Shelly embodies the authentic spirit of the region. A born-and-raised Midwestern girl, she hails from Indiana, where she still resides today. Her journey as a vegetarian began at the tender age of 12, a path that was far from common in her small Northern Indiana town during her formative years. This early commitment to plant-based eating ignited a passion for creativity in the kitchen, pushing her to innovate and explore culinary possibilities from a young age.

Shelly’s culinary imagination was fueled by weekend excursions to the vibrant city of Chicago, the seasonal offerings of local farmer’s markets, and the eclectic food scene of her college town, Bloomington. These experiences collectively shaped her unique approach to food, which shines through in Vegetarian Heartland. This cookbook is a heartfelt celebration of vegetarian comfort food, deeply rooted in her Midwestern upbringing, combined with an appreciation for seasonal produce. It’s filled with hearty, satisfying recipes that just happen to be plant-based and vegetarian, proving that wholesome food can also be incredibly comforting and delicious.

Beyond the Plate: The Adventure-Driven Structure of Vegetarian Heartland

What truly elevates Vegetarian Heartland beyond its stunning photography and inventive recipes (think coconut curry shakshuka, sweet and sour Michigan pasties, Mediterranean hoagie sandwiches, and persimmon pudding pie, to name just a few tantalizing examples!) is its unique and engaging structure. The recipes are ingeniously organized not just by season, but by adventure within each season. For instance, the summer section unfolds into charming mini-chapters like:

• Road Trip: A collection of prepare-ahead dishes designed to keep you feeling full and energized, no matter how long the drive. Perfect for those spontaneous summer journeys.
• Berry-Picking Adventure: Creative ways to transform your bounty of fresh berries and cherries gathered during a delightful afternoon of picking into delectable treats.
• Cookout: An array of crowd-pleasing recipes ideal for your next backyard gathering, ensuring everyone finds something to savor.

This approach is not only incredibly fun and refreshing but also shifts the focus from simply the act of cooking to the holistic experience of food. It places less emphasis on spending endless hours in the kitchen and more on the joy of sharing and savoring meals with others during life’s many adventures. It serves as a beautiful reminder and lesson, encouraging us to use our daily experiences and larger life journeys as a catalyst for inspiration in the kitchen, making cooking an extension of our lives rather than a chore.

The Ultimate Wild Rice Veggie Burger: Flavor, Texture, and Staying Power

While I may not strictly adhere to a vegetarian diet, my passion for plant-based cooking is unwavering. As a lifelong vegetable lover, embracing the vibrant world of vegetarian cuisine comes quite naturally to me. For any veggie burger enthusiast, the true benchmark of a truly great burger lies in three crucial elements: exceptional flavor, satisfying texture, and impressive sticking power. I am thrilled to report that this Wild Rice Veggie Burger absolutely excels in all three categories.

Don’t be daunted by the seemingly long list of directions. The beauty of this recipe is its adaptability for meal prep. Many of its components can be prepared in advance, significantly streamlining the cooking process when you’re ready to assemble your burgers. The wild rice can be cooked, the vegetables sautéed, and the unique tahini-date binder mixed ahead of time, making it a surprisingly manageable recipe for busy schedules.

These versatile burgers can certainly be served in traditional buns, but their robust flavor and texture also make them an excellent addition to a large, vibrant salad. For those planning to grill, Shelly offers a fantastic tip: it’s best to shape these into smaller sliders. The patties can be quite delicate on the grill, and smaller sizes are easier to handle and flip, preventing them from breaking apart.

However, if you, like me, prefer a full-sized burger and often struggle to find good-quality slider buns, fear not! I opted to make mine into traditional burger-sized patties and cooked them on the stovetop. Following Shelly’s instructions for larger burgers, a nonstick frying pan over medium heat works wonders. I’ve included those stovetop directions in the recipe below, ensuring you can enjoy these fantastic burgers regardless of your preferred cooking method or size.

Dietary Considerations and Ingredient Spotlight

One of the many appealing aspects of this recipe is that the actual veggie burger patty itself is entirely vegan. Its binding agent is a delightful sweet and savory tahini-date paste, effortlessly prepared in a blender or food processor. This means that, aside from the luscious herbed ricotta topping – which, while optional, is highly recommended for its creamy counterpoint – the burger is also dairy-free and egg-free. This makes it an excellent and inclusive choice for friends and family members with various dietary restrictions or preferences.

Wild rice, a grain often sourced from the Midwest, might be slightly pricier and sometimes a bit more challenging to locate than other common rice varieties. However, its unique, nutty flavor and distinct chewy texture contribute an absolutely unparalleled quality to these burgers. It’s truly worth seeking out. A helpful tip: check the bulk bins at your local grocery store; you’ll often find wild rice available there at a more economical price.

If ricotta isn’t to your taste, or if you’re aiming for a fully vegan meal, there are plenty of equally delicious alternatives for topping these burgers. Tangy goat cheese or sharp cheddar would provide a wonderful savory complement. For a plant-based option, a generous drizzle of my easy lemon tahini sauce would be an absolutely perfect accompaniment, adding brightness and a creamy texture without dairy.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore Shelly’s stunning cookbook and immerse yourself in her culinary world. It’s a true gem for anyone seeking creative, hearty, and plant-forward recipes. You can also follow the rest of the cookbook blog tour here to discover more fantastic dishes from Vegetarian Heartland!