Kimchi is a spicy, fermented mix of vegetables originally from Korea. As fermented foods are becoming more and more known for their positive role in enhancing the gut microbiome, foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are becoming extremely popular. Most of the time, kimchi is eaten as a side dish or topping with a meal. I am really stepping out here, getting wild and crazy… This recipe uses Kimchi as the main ingredient in these Kickin’ Kimchi Burgers!
The story behind these Kickin’ Kimchi Burgers…
Of course there is a story behind these burgers… I mean, I had never even heard of the idea until my husband and I took a road trip to Calgary. We stopped in Banff, both on the way there and the way back for a night. It was a bit of a spoil week, as we felt like we hadn’t been anywhere for so long… The highlight was meeting up with old friends and shaking it down at Air Supply and Foreigner concerts! I’m aging myself here, but it was a freaking blast!
We ate dinner (both times) at Nourish in downtown Banff. What a great vegetarian spot! The first night, my hubby had the Kimchi Burger and absolutely loved it. The texture was almost like a firm salmon burger. The poor guy sometimes misses his salmon, but he knows he is healthier for choosing plants over living creatures. 🙂
Easy to make, only 7 ingredients! Just blend and bake.
The waiter said it was “really just kimchi and flour”, so I decided when I got home I would try my hand at making my own version.
Three times, a charm…
The first time I used spelt flour and a chunky store bought Kimchi, whole wheat flour, spices and a flax egg. The next time, I used a different Kimchi variety (less spicy), chickpea flour, flax eggs, tapioca starch and some sweet potato!
The third time, I tried to make it as simple as possible removing the tapioca starch since it didn’t seem necessary. These Kickin’ Kimchi Burgers only contain 7 ingredients and can be made up very quickly. Just blend all ingredients and they are ready to be made into patties.
More about Kimchi
Kimchi, depending on the style and brand, can be quite spicy. You have to read the labels, as some brands contain fish sauce or shrimp paste. It is easy to find a variety that is completely plant-based. Kimchi is traditionally made with ingredients such as napa cabbage, radish, scallions, ginger and garlic. It often contains a sweet fruit, like pear, as well. This is preferable to brands that use sugar as a sweetener. Apparently, one very important ingredient, that cannot be substituted, is red pepper powder known as Gochugaru.
In making this recipe, I tried both a chunky kimchi brand as well as a lighter, stringier brand that looks more like sauerkraut than kimchi. Both varieties worked just fine to make these burgers.
The only bummer…
As I mentioned above, fermented foods such as kimchi are great sources of bacteria that are healthy for your digestive system. Unfortunately, due to the fact that you have to cook these burgers, the bacteria will be heated and killed. However, you will still get plenty of nutrients and fiber from all of the vegetables in the kimchi! And, if you are really hardcore, you could even add some fresh, bacteria rich kimchi as a topping. (Ok that might be pushing it…)
www.thevibrantveggie.com Slather with rich sauces for ultimate juiciness!
Ingredients
Instructions
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