Homemade fresh juice is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. It has a truly remarkable flavour, one of life and vitality. But it can also be costly and wasteful, mainly because the bulk of the ingredients – all that nutritious fibre – usually ends up in the compost. But what if we ate that fibre by turning it into a new ingredient to use in other recipes?
Every time I used to make juice, I’d cringe when I threw the pulp in the compost bin, so I devised a list of go-to dishes to use it up. Next time you make a juice, or are bold enough to ask your local cafe for a bag of spent pulp, try adding it to falafel mix, baking it into cakes, frying it in pancake batter, blending it into soups – or go to town and make this veggie burger. It’s a rather tasty bonus.
The pulp fiction burger
Serves 2
100g juice pulp (about 2 small juices’ worth, preferably containing red beetroot)
100g tempeh, shredded (or cooked beans, mashed)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ large onion, grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 tbsp miso
1 tbsp wholemeal flour
25g crushed walnuts
Oil, for frying
Mix everything together in a bowl, then form into two firm round patties and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Gently fry the patties in an oiled, ovenproof frying pan on a medium-low heat, ignoring the temptation to move them about. When the base starts to brown and form a crust (after about five minutes), carefully flip over the patties, then transfer the pan to the oven for five to 10 minutes. Serve as you like in a bun or lettuce leaf with your favourite sauces and garnishes.
