Vegan Passover Patties with Red Quinoa and Beets

Planning for Passover

I don't know if you've looked at your calendar lately, but the Passover Seder is two weeks away. Did I just surprise you? I hope not.

I'm already deep in planning mode, figuring out what I'll bring to the Seder. Because there's no way I'm showing up empty-handed.

My kitchen looks like a command center: sticky notes on the cabinets, scribbled recipes on the fridge, and a YouTube feed that won't stop suggesting cooking videos. (And the new song by Netta Barzilai, an Israeli singer, for Eurovision, Europe's international song contest – which is ridiculously fun, but that's another post.)

Want to hear the menu so far? Of course you do. I was thinking tofu patties in a luscious Asian-inspired sauce, mushroom-stuffed gondi (Persian Jewish dumplings) made with chickpea flour, and salads. Then I learned something that sent me straight back to square one.

My wonderful host and her family avoid kitniyot (legumes and certain other foods traditionally avoided by some Jews during Passover). So much for that menu. Time to start over.

I pulled the sticky notes off the cabinets and started digging through Jewish dietary rulings. What could I make that was vegan, healthy, and legume-free? Not exactly a small challenge.

I researched, asked around, and consulted.

And then I found it: red quinoa. It was love at first sight.

Beyond that gorgeous deep-red color, cooked red quinoa provides protein, calcium, iron, and plenty of fiber. The nutrition figures I had were 8 grams of protein, 28 mg of calcium, and 3 mg of iron, though the serving size wasn't specified. It's naturally gluten-free, too. Quinoa is a seed rather than a cereal grain and can be suitable for Passover, including for many people who avoid kitniyot; follow your household's practice and certification requirements. Quinoa, my love. ♥

These vegan Passover patties bring together cooked red quinoa, fresh beet, and sweet potato, all served over a creamy cauliflower and Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke) purée.

It's a festive dish for the Seder table—or any other occasion that calls for something special.

Noam Becher (an Israeli nutritionist and fitness instructor), my favorite nutrition pro, calculated the nutrition for us. That way, none of us has to play the child who doesn't know how to ask—or the simple child—from the Seder's Four Questions tradition.

Nutrition per patty:

30 calories, 4 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fat (0.1 gram saturated fat), 0.5 gram fiber

With 1 level tablespoon of purée, add:

9 calories, 0.5 gram carbohydrate, 0.5 gram protein, 0.5 gram fat

Light on calories, with calcium, iron, potassium, folate, and magnesium in the mix. In other words, go ahead and enjoy.

Join our Facebook community, Vegan Muscle (an Israeli vegan fitness group).

Looking for a knockout Passover dessert? See what I've got for you here.

Vegan Passover Patties

Vegan Passover patties with red quinoa and beets

Yield 30 patties

Ingredients

For the patties

• 1 cup red quinoa uncooked
• 1 beet medium, raw
• 1 sweet potato medium
• 2 tablespoons ground almonds
• 1 tablespoon oregano chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds optional, but they add fantastic flavor
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

For the cauliflower purée

• 1 head cauliflower medium
• 1 Jerusalem artichoke
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves

Instructions

1. Cook the red quinoa as you would rice: Add the 1 cup quinoa to a saucepan without oil. Pour in 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.
   
3. Peel the beet and coarsely grate it. Add it to the bowl with the quinoa.
4. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into thick slices. Cook in boiling water, or in the microwave, for up to 15 minutes, until tender.
5. Mash the sweet potato with a fork until smooth, then add it to the quinoa bowl.
   
6. Add the remaining patty ingredients and mix thoroughly.
7. With wet hands, shape the mixture into patties, pressing firmly so they hold together. Cook in a hot skillet, without added oil, for 2–3 minutes per side. Use 2 forks to gently turn them.
   
8. Alternatively, bake at 170°C (340°F) for about 15 minutes.
9. Make the cauliflower purée. This makes 30 level tablespoons.
10. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
11. Wash the cauliflower thoroughly, remove the leaves, and add it to the boiling water.
12. Peel the Jerusalem artichoke and add it to the pot.
13. Cook the cauliflower and Jerusalem artichoke for 20–30 minutes, until completely tender.
14. Drain and transfer the vegetables to a food processor.
15. Add the remaining ingredients—the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil—and process until smooth.
16. Spoon 1 tablespoon of purée onto a plate, top with 3 quinoa patties, and garnish with fresh oregano.
17. Now, what are we drinking on this night that's different from all other nights?