Green Burgers / Spinach Patties

Green burgers or spinach patties served on a plate with dip garnished with chives.

5 from 13 votes

Golden brown cakes of spinach or other greens make a perfect side dish or green veggie burger. Many different leafy greens may be used.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Spinach patties recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Alan Bergo

Cost: 2

Equipment

1 large pot for blanching greens, roughly 1.5 gallon capacity
1 Medium mixing bowl
1 Heavy chefs knife

Ingredients

2 cups (1lb) blanched greens without too many stems like watercress, nettles, spinach, etc
2 Large Eggs
¼ cup All purpose flour or equivalent
1 pinch Ground nutmeg optional
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup Cooking oil plus more as needed

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. It should be salty as if you'd use the water to cook pasta, or roughly 2-3 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Meanwhile, wash the greens in cold water.
Bring the pot to a rolling boil and add the greens, working in batches if needed.
Cook the greens for 30-60 seconds or until they're just tender and taste good to you, then remove to a bowl of cold water. Young plants may cook in 30 seconds. Older plants may take longer to cook.
Squeeze the greens dry as well as you can, forming them into balls.
Using a heavy chefs knife, cut the greens in a cross-hatch pattern to ensure there's no long stems. You can also pulse them in a food processor.
If the chopped greens still feel wet, squeeze more liquid from them. Sometimes I drink it.
Add the egg, flour and nutmeg if using to the greens, along with a pinch of salt to taste (¼ teaspoon) and mix well.
Make a small test cake and cook it to test the seasoning, and how well the cakes hold their shape.
Eat the test cake. Adjust the salt if needed. If the cakes struggle to hold together add another spoonful of flour. Cook another test cake and repeat the process until you're happy with the flavor and texture.
Form roughly ¼ cup patties of the greens mixture and fry in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little extra oil if the pan gets dry.
To make green veggie burgers, form 4-6 oz patties (½-3/4 cup).
Working in batches, gently fry the cakes until well browned on both sides, pressing down on them with a spatula gently.
When the cakes are done, serve them with your favorite dip or simply with lemon wedges and serve as a side dish.

Video

Notes

While many recipes for green burgers or spinach burgers use lots of ingredients like garlic powder, mashed sweet potatoes or beans, I prefer the simple taste of the greens seasoned with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon, spicy condiments, sauces or dips to liven them up.

Nutrition