1. Heat a large frypan over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or a bit of olive oil. Once hot add the onion and sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
2. When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add black beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, so you can leave a bit of texture if you want.
4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the quinoa, beets, spices and stir. For even more flavour, add a shake of vegan worcestershire or A-1 sauce (optional).
5. Lastly, add the walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is able enough to form into patties. Set in the fridge to chill while your oven preheats to 190° C (skip this step if cooking on the stovetop or grill[1][1]).
6. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 8-9 patties. I use a large jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape. You can also just take handfuls and mash them into loose patties. The thicker you make them, the longer they’ll take to cook through, but the “juicier” and heartier they’ll be! Thinner patties will cook faster.
7. Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 190°C for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping at the halfway mark. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve more crisp, but it’s not necessary.
8. Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens with desired toppings. See notes for freezing instructions[2][2].

Notes

[1]: For a quicker cook time, form into slightly thinner patties and brown in a skillet over medium heat lightly coated with olive, canola or coconut oil. Cook until brown on both sides – 3-4 minutes each. NOTE: This method doesn’t get them as well done in the middle, but the crust is more pronounced. [2]: FREEZING: If you don’t want to cook the whole batch at once, form into 10 patties, par-bake them at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes. Then cool and stack between layers of parchment paper and cover. Freeze for up to a few weeks. To cook, place on baking sheet still frozen and bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) until desired texture/color is reached - roughly 25-35 minutes.