A No-Waste Veggie Burger Recipe To Help Stretch Your Grocery Budget

Cutting down on food waste isn’t just good for the planet — it’s good for your grocery budget, too. 

Food waste is a massive problem in the US, amounting to 80 billion pounds of wasted food each year. A shocking 40% of food produced in the US is thrown away, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the average American family throws away around $1,600 per year in uneaten produce. 

Composting is one great way to give your food scraps new life, but you can make them go even further by transforming them into tonight’s dinner. Instead of tossing out those bendy carrots and unused broccoli stems, use them to make this simple, sustainable veggie burger that will help lessen your food waste.

No-Waste Food Scrap Veggie Burger Recipe

Yield: 6–8 burgers

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups clean vegetable scraps (e.g. broccoli or cauliflower stems, bruised potatoes or squash, carrots that are about to go bad)

3 pouches Thrive Market Organic Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed, and patted dry

1 tablespoon Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Thrive Market Mediterranean Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Thrive Market Herbs de Provence 

2 tablespoons Thrive Market Coconut Oil Mayonnaise 

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, minced

2 large eggs

1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (we like Edward & Sons panko)

Burger buns (we like Schar gluten-free buns) or lettuce wraps, to serve 

Instructions:

Peel bendy carrots, broccoli stems, bruised potatoes, and any other veggie scraps.

In a food processor, add all the food scraps and pulse until finely minced and uniform in size. 

Add the chickpeas, olive oil, spices, herbs, and mayonnaise, then pulse until the chickpeas are finely minced (not puréed) and the mixture is quite thick.

Add the garlic, shallots, eggs, feta cheese (if using), and half the panko breadcrumbs and pulse several more times until the mixture is evenly textured and all ingredients are equally mixed in. Add more panko as needed — you may need more or less, depending on what food scraps you use. 

Form the mixture into burger-shaped patties and set aside. The patties can be layered in between parchment paper and stored in the fridge for 3 days, or frozen (well wrapped) for up to 3 months.

To cook the patties, heat one to two tablespoons of a neutral oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Carefully place the patties on the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side.

To serve, place the veggie burger patties on burger buns or lettuce wraps. Top with classic ketchup and mustard, sliced avocado, crunchy field greens, or your favorite sliced cheese.