In an increasingly health-conscious world, guests often seek out healthy alternatives to their unhealthy favorites in pursuit of finding the perfect dish which serves up equal health and taste. Why sacrifice taste for nutrition? On that premise, the James Beard Foundation dared restaurants to join them in grilling up the perfect burger. La Mar by Gaston Acurio delivered, and created a Quinoa Burger which spared no flavor. The burger was created by Chef Diego Oka for the James Beard Foundation’s Better Burger Project, challenging restaurants “to make a ‘better burger’ [that was] delicious, healthier, and more sustainable.”

Reading the ingredients which make up this vegetarian burger, one could easily mistake it for a nutritious salad. The burger is comprised of roasted squash, quinoa, beets, carrots, a special Peruvian pepper, confit onions, pickles, tomatoes, mushrooms, and topped with a rocoto aioli (made of another Peruvian pepper). With the burger’s roster of wholesome ingredients, the richness of flavor may come as a rather shocking surprise. The patty itself remains remarkably intact, a feat managed by roasting the squash then drying it with quinoa (which has starch), holding it together. Chef Oka adds mushrooms to the mix, creating less of a mushy feel and one which mimics the texture and feel of meat. The savory patty rests between two lightly toasted buns, adding the essential crunch needed to create the perfect burger.

Executive Chef Diego Oka, formerly a resident of the San Francisco area, previously worked at La Mar’s sister restaurant in the heart of San Francisco before heading southeast to join the Miami team. Oka’s inspiration for the burger was simple; noticing the trend in healthier eating, he sought to “make a healthy burger” which guests could enjoy guilt-free. Safe to say, Oka succeeded with flying colors.