One of the major reasons why I have wanted a food processor for so long was so that I would be able to make these…
Since becoming a vegetarian a little over a year ago, I have eaten quite a few vegetarian burgers. Most of the veggie burgers that I have eaten have been at restaurants, with the occasional MorningStar Farms or Boca vegetarian burger thrown in here and there. Some burgers have been fabulous, and some have been so-so. The fabulous ones….well, those of course are almost always the freshly-made, homemade burgers that contain whole and natural ingredients. While I think that the frozen vegetarian burgers are great in a pinch and when eaten in moderation, there is nothing quite as tasty as a homemade veggie burger. Plus, having the ability to avoid the addition of unnecessary ingredients is huge! I like to control what I am consuming, and love being aware of exactly what ingredients I am putting into my body.
I have only had my food processor for a little over a month, but I put it to good use with this recipe. You can certainly make this recipe without a food processor (just make certain to dice your ingredients really small and mash your chickpeas with a potato masher or fork), but you just cannot beat the ease of using a food processor!
Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Servings: Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients
1/4 white, yellow, or red onion
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium carrot, shredded
1/3 medium zucchini, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 TB nutritional yeast (optional)
2/3 cup instant oats
EVOO cooking spray
Directions
1. Combine onions, peppers, carrots, zucchini, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are finely diced. Empty the vegetables from the food processor and place into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Place the chickpeas into the food processor and pulse until the chickpea mixture is blended, but some small pieces of chickpeas remain intact.
3. Remove the chickpeas from the food processor and add them to the bowl of diced vegetables.
4. Add the spices and extra virgin olive oil to the bowl. Stir until all of the ingredients are well-combined.
5. Stir in the instant oats. You may want to add more or less than specified, depending on your preference and how well the mixture holds together.
6. Separate the chickpea/vegetable/oats mixture into four equal-sized portions. Form these portions into patties.
7. Spray a large skillet with EVOO cooking spray (or you can use a bit of EVOO). Heat the skillet over medium heat until warm.
8. Add the burger patties to the pan and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until the first side becomes golden brown and begins to get crispy.
9. Carefully flip the burgers (this is the most difficult part of the recipe) and cook an additional 6-8 minutes. You may need to continue cooking each of the sides for a few more minutes until the burgers meet your desired crispiness.
10. Serve your burgers alone or on a whole wheat bun or sandwich thin. You could also serve these in whole wheat pitas. Add your favorite burger toppings and eat!
I chose to eat my Chickpea Veggie Burgers without the bun so that I could fully savor all of the flavors of the burgers.
I dipped my burgers in Dijon mustard and served them alongside roasted broccoli, green beans, and brussel sprouts.
The texture and flavor of these burgers was absolutely delicious!
I would definitely say that my first homemade veggie burger experience was a huge success. I will absolutely be making these again in the near future.
