Southwestern Meatless Burger for Renal Diet Recipe - KNI - Kidney Nutrition Institute (2024)

Course: Appetizer, Main, Side Dish

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: Low Calorie, Low Phosphorus, Low Potassium, Low Protein, Low Sodium

Diet Type: CKD, Dialysis, VLPD

• 6 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red or green pepper finely chopped
• 1/2 cup corn fresh or frozen
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup spaghetti squash cooked and pureed (one medium-size spaghetti squash yields about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese - a good quality, strong cheese will yield the best flavor for the smallest quantity consumed
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast This is a great product to keep on hand as it can replace the flavor of cheese in some recipes. You can find it in the natural foods section of many grocery stores or buy online.
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or crushed low sodium crackers
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 dash salt to taste
• 1 dash freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6-8 tortillas Corn tortillas are lowest in sodium, but will need to be heated thoroughly (fried, microwaved, etc... to work for this.)
• Green salsa Read the ingredients on your label to make sure the green salsa you choose is made with tomatillos or green chiles not green tomatoes.
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• sour cream optional

• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, corn, garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

• Add pureed spaghetti squash, cheese, oatmeal, nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to the onion mixture; mix well. With dampened hands, form the vegetable mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, using about 1/2 cup for each.

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Stack corn or flour tortillas and wrap in aluminum foil. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes to heat through. (Alternatively, stack tortillas between two damp paper towels; microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds, or until heated through.)

• Using 2 teaspoons oil per batch, cook 2 – 4 patties at a time in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning. We also had success baking them although they don’t get the same “crispy” shell that you might get with the pan-fry. Wrap the patties in tortillas and serve immediately, garnished with lettuce and tomatillo/green chile salsa

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3. Wrap patties individually and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.

• VERY IMPORTANT key to this recipe: Mixture should be about the consistency of oatmeal cookie dough. If it is too wet and goopy then the patties will not hold together when you flip them. If your mixture seems too goopy or wet, add a little bit more oatmeal or bread crumbs. If you're on dialysis and trying to increase your protein intake you can also add an egg to recipe or some flavorless protein powder.