We’re starting the season with a delicious burger recipe — perfect timing with Memorial Day weekend approaching. These are not ordinary burgers: they’re wild rice veggie burgers topped with a bright herbed ricotta. The patties are hearty and elegant, built from nutty wild rice, tender sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, and a flavorful tahini–date binder.
This recipe comes from Shelly Westerhausen’s cookbook Vegetarian Heartland: Recipes for Life’s Adventures. I joined a small group of food bloggers sharing recipes from her book because I’ve long admired Shelly’s plant-based creativity and her appealing food photography. Her book celebrates vegetarian comfort food rooted in Midwestern seasonality and simple adventures — think road trips, berry-picking, and backyard cookouts — and each section is organized around the experience of sharing food.
I’m not a born-and-raised Midwesterner, though I’ve grown fond of the region since moving to Chicago two years ago. Shelly, who grew up in Indiana and has been vegetarian since childhood, brings Midwestern ingredients and comfort-food sensibilities to vegetarian cooking — recipes that are satisfying, seasonal, and straightforward to share.
Beyond the appealing photography and inventive recipes in Vegetarian Heartland (coconut curry shakshuka, sweet-and-sour Michigan pasties, Mediterranean hoagie sandwiches, persimmon pudding pie, and more), my favorite thing about the book is how it’s organized by season and by life’s little adventures. The structure encourages you to think less about being stuck in the kitchen and more about the experience of enjoying food with others.
I love plant-forward cooking, and a good veggie burger must deliver on flavor, texture, and hold together well when cooked. These patties pass that test: the wild rice gives distinctive chew and flavor, the sautéed vegetables add softness and sweetness, and the tahini–date paste binds everything with a savory-sweet depth. Although the instructions are detailed, many steps can be done ahead — cook the rice, prepare the vegetables, and make the binder in advance to streamline assembly.
These burgers are versatile: serve them on buns, as sliders, or over a big green salad. If grilling, make them slider-sized to make flipping easier. I made full-sized patties and seared them on the stovetop, which works well for larger patties that can be delicate on the grill.
The veggie burger mixture itself is vegan, bound by a tahini–date paste. The herbed ricotta topping is optional but highly recommended; it adds creaminess and brightness. Without the ricotta the burger is dairy- and egg-free, suitable for many dietary needs. Wild rice, often sourced from Midwestern regions, can be pricier than other rices but contributes an excellent texture and flavor; check bulk bins or specialty sections at the store.
If you prefer, swap the ricotta for tangy goat cheese, sharp cheddar, or a drizzle of lemony tahini sauce for a different finish. The recipe below includes the full ingredient list and step-by-step directions to prepare herbed ricotta and the wild rice veggie burgers.
Wild Rice Veggie Burgers with Herbed Ricotta
Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes • Cook: 45 minutes • Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
Summary
These wild rice veggie burgers combine cooked wild rice, sautéed vegetables, and a tahini–date binder to create patties with satisfying texture and flavor. Serve topped with herbed ricotta or a lemony tahini sauce.
Ingredients
Herbed Ricotta
- 8 oz (230 g) whole-milk ricotta
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or dried oregano
- Leaves from 1 sprig dill, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried dill)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Veggie Burgers
- 2/3 cup (120 g) wild rice, rinsed
- 4 cups (960 mL) vegetable stock, plus 1/4 cup (60 mL) reserved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Leaves from 2 sprigs dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup (75 g) tahini paste
- 2 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow or Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup (15 g) bread crumbs
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
- 6 regular buns, split, or 16 slider buns
Instructions
- Prepare the Herbed Ricotta: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, garlic, parsley, basil, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Cook the Wild Rice: In a large saucepan with a lid over high heat, combine the wild rice and 4 cups (960 mL) vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, 40–45 minutes. Drain any excess, transfer to a large bowl, and let cool slightly. Reserve about 1/4 cup cooking liquid to use with the tahini–date paste if needed.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium–low heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until very soft, 12–15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped dill.
- Make the Tahini–Date Paste: In a blender or food processor, combine tahini, dates, oregano, cayenne, mustard, and the reserved 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable stock. Blend until smooth to form a cohesive binder.
- Combine the Mixture: Add the tahini–date paste, bread crumbs, and sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the cooked wild rice. Fold gently until everything is evenly combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to firm up.
- Form Patties: Using your hands, shape 1/4 cup (about 65 g) of the mixture into a ball and gently flatten into six full-size patties (or form smaller 1-inch thick sliders). Place patties on a plate. They can be cooked immediately or covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours.
- Cook the Burgers: For grilling: preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium. Arrange patties on the grill, cover, and cook, flipping once, until warmed through, about 12–15 minutes total. For full-size patties (about six), stovetop cooking is preferred: heat 1 teaspoon olive oil per burger in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook covered for about 4 minutes per side, until browned and heated through.
- Serve: Place each patty on a bun and top with herbed ricotta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Wild rice has a distinct texture and flavor that makes these burgers special; check bulk bins if available. The herbed ricotta is optional — tangy goat cheese, sharp cheddar, or a lemony tahini sauce are excellent alternatives. Many components can be made in advance to speed assembly on the day you serve them.
Nutrition (per serving)
Serving: 1 • Calories: 708 kcal • Carbohydrates: 94 g • Protein: 28 g • Fat: 27 g • Saturated Fat: 8 g • Polyunsaturated Fat: 17 g • Cholesterol: 29 mg • Sodium: 1070 mg • Fiber: 10 g • Sugar: 20 g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Vegetarian • Cuisine: American