Mollie Katzen-Inspired Potato and Broccoli Burgers

Updated Jan. 31, 2022

Mollie Katzen-Inspired Potato and Broccoli Burgers
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 50 minutes
Rating
4(128)
Comments
Read comments

The famed vegetarian cookbook author Mollie Katzen has a whole chapter devoted to burgers and savory pancakes in her beautiful cookbook “The Heart of the Plate.” Before I’d looked carefully at the chapter I’d bought a bunch of broccoli with the idea that specks of broccoli would be beautiful in a burger. Mollie, with her delicious Walnut-Coated Broccoli-Speckled Mashed Potato Cakes, was way ahead of me on that idea. I loved her idea of coating the burgers with ground walnuts and barely cooking the finely chopped broccoli before incorporating it into the mix. I’ve made a variation on Mollie’s burgers, using red potatoes, cumin and garam masala.

Featured in: Summer Burgers, Hold the Meat

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Ingredients

Yield:9 patties
  • 2cups finely minced broccoli florets (about 6½ ounces, or 2 good-size crowns; see note)
  • Salt to taste
  • pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
  • ½cup chopped cilantro
  • 2teaspoons toasted cumin seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
  • 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1teaspoon nigella seeds
  • 1teaspoon garam masala
  • ½teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼cup ricotta
  • 1cup ground walnuts (about 3 ounces; pulse in a food processor until they resemble coarse bread crumbs, being careful not to grind to a paste; you will probably have some left over)
  • ¼cup grape seed oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)

174 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 278 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Place broccoli in a strainer and dip into the boiling water for 1 minute, then remove. Rinse with cold water and shake out excess, then drain on paper towels.

  2. Step 2

    Steam potatoes over 1 inch of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork. The skins will break up in the mash. Stir in broccoli and remaining ingredients except the ground walnuts and oil. Season generously with salt, combine well, taste and adjust seasonings.

  3. Step 3

    Place ground walnuts in a wide bowl. Scoop out about ⅓ cup of burger mixture and form into a ball (you can moisten your hands to prevent sticking). Roll in the walnuts, then gently flatten into a patty. Place on a plate or sheet pan and continue to shape all of the patties. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

  4. Step 4

    When you’re ready to cook, place a rack over a sheet pan. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch, heavy nonstick frying pan over high heat. Swirl pan to coat with the hot oil. Lower heat to medium. Place 4 to 5 patties in the pan (do not crowd), and cook until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown for about 4 more minutes. Remove to the rack. Heat remaining oil in the pan and cook remaining patties. Keep patties warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Serve with a salad and your choice of toppings, such as the usual (ketchup, mustard, relish), or yogurt raita, garlic yogurt, or chutney.

Tips
  • Note: For finely minced florets, cut very thin slices across the florets with a chef’s knife.
  • Advance preparation: You can form the patties and keep them frigerated for up to 2 days, or cook them all the way through and keep them refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a low oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The patties freeze well. Thaw completely before reheating.

Ratings

4 out of 5
128 user ratings
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Comments

Very tasty. I tried baking these instead of frying (400 degrees for 20 minutes) but the walnut coating didn't crisp up very well (although it was still good). I also tried coating the patties in whole wheat panko, and that crisped up very well in the oven, and tasted better than the walnut coating, in my opinion. What I like about this recipe is that you can use potatoes and broccoli that are not in peak shape, and the outcome is still delicious.

My husband and I enjoyed these burgers - flavorful and especially complemented by a small scoop of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt. I used celery seeds instead of nigella seeds, though the celery seeds added a slight bitterness to the dish - not necessarily unpleasant. The walnuts add a wonderful crispness to the finished patties. I cooked half and the other half kept in the 'frig for several days.

I generally don't mess with NYT recipes because I love them, but I'm a free-ranging cook. Lacking ricotta I went North African. I used "labne" (middle eastern thick yogurt), and "ras el hanout" (North African spice mix I make every year for holiday gifts https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/ras-el-hanout-moroccan-spice-mix-262189.) And just as recipe says, chilling the patties before frying is a must, so plan ahead.

Could you sub tofu ricotta? Husband is lactose intolerant and ricotta is killer.

I generally don't mess with NYT recipes because I love them, but I'm a free-ranging cook. Lacking ricotta I went North African. I used "labne" (middle eastern thick yogurt), and "ras el hanout" (North African spice mix I make every year for holiday gifts https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/ras-el-hanout-moroccan-spice-mix-262189.) And just as recipe says, chilling the patties before frying is a must, so plan ahead.

Very tasty. I tried baking these instead of frying (400 degrees for 20 minutes) but the walnut coating didn't crisp up very well (although it was still good). I also tried coating the patties in whole wheat panko, and that crisped up very well in the oven, and tasted better than the walnut coating, in my opinion. What I like about this recipe is that you can use potatoes and broccoli that are not in peak shape, and the outcome is still delicious.

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