First things first—let’s get those beets roasted. Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab your beets and wrap them gently in aluminum foil, creating a little pouch. Roast those beauties for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce them. Once they’re done, let them cool for a few minutes. Peeling them is a breeze when they’re warm; the skins slip off without much fuss.

As the beets are roasting, pull out a 2-quart pot and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil, then generously season it with salt. Toss in your brown rice and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to cook until it’s just beyond al dente—about 35 to 40 minutes—so it holds together in the burger without being mushy. Drain it once cooked and let it cool.

Next, we’re going to make those onions sing! In a skillet, heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high. Add your diced onions with a pinch of salt. Keep an eye on them, stirring every minute or two, until they’re beautifully golden and slightly charred—this should take around 10 to 12 minutes. If any dark bits form on the bottom of the pan, that’s good; we’ll be using those flavors soon!

Once the onions are looking scrumptious, toss in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then pour in the apple cider vinegar, scraping up the tasty browned bits from the skillet. Let it simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grab your food processor and pulse up the rolled oats until they look like a fine flour. Transfer it to a bowl and keep it on hand for our next step.

In the food processor, place one can of drained and rinsed black beans, topping them with chopped prunes. Pulse this mixture in short bursts until roughly chopped—don’t overdo it, as you still want some texture. Now, transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the second can of whole black beans for extra heartiness.

Time to deal with those roasted beets! Once cooled, use a spoon or paper towel to remove the skins. Then, grate the beets using the largest holes of your box grater. Place the grated beets in a strainer over the sink and press down to remove excess liquid. This step is crucial; we want the burgers to hold together well.

Add the grated beets, cooled rice, and sautéed onion mixture to the beans. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle in brown mustard, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, thyme, and any additional seasonings to taste. Mix everything thoroughly until well combined. If you’re using an egg for binding, toss that in now too, ensuring every bit is incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight if you can manage it. This downtime helps the flavors meld beautifully!

When you're ready to cook, shape the chilled mixture into patties. Scoop about a cup of the mixture and press it between your hands to form a thick patty. You should yield about six generous patties.

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and coat the bottom with vegetable oil. Once the oil shimmers, carefully place your patties in, ensuring they’re not overcrowded. Cook the patties for about 2 minutes before flipping them—you should see a lovely crust forming. If any bits crumble off during flipping, just pat them back into shape with your spatula.

Cook an additional 2 minutes, then cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Let them cook for another 4 minutes until warmed through. If you decide to add cheese, lay a slice on top during the last minute of cooking.

Serve the beet burgers on soft hamburger buns or lightly toasted bread, along with some fresh greens or your favorite toppings.