Monday, October 25, 2010

Ultimate Veggie Burgers (Chickpea Sprout Burgers)


I'm always on the lookout for new, interesting, and delicious veggie burger recipes. I really enjoy complex burgers with many flavors and textures, but they can take a while to make, especially when there are vegetables and grains that need to be pre-cooked.

One of my favorite veggie burger substitutes are Morning Star Farm's Chik'n patties. They are one of the faux meat products my husband will willingly eat, and they are quick and easy to prepare. However, they're quite processed and depending on your outlook, it's arguably healthier to just eat an organic chicken breast. When I saw this burger, it seemed to be quite similar to the chik'n patties. It relies heavily on eggs to give it a great protein punch and flavor, and sprouts to give it an interesting texture. I was hopeful with this recipe, and thought I might not call it the ultimate veggie burger, it was delicious! I modified the original recipe just a bit, and got 6 patties. This recipe was very easy and came together quickly.

While I normally shape my patties and freeze them, this time I cooked them, cooled them, and then froze them. I'm hoping that this technique yields better results when it comes to reheating the veggie burger for a quick weeknight dinner.


Ultimate Veggie Burgers (Chickpea Sprout Burgers)
adapted from 101 Cookbooks, from Super Natural Cooking

3 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas (or 2 15. oz cans, drained and rinsed
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 c. minced cilantro
1 small yellow onion, grated
1 c. micro sprouts (I used alfalfa)
1/2 c. whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
2 scallions, minced

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, whisk well.
Add half of the chickpeas to a food processor, process until smooth, add to eggs.
Add the rest of the chickpeas to the food processor, pulse 10 times, add to the mixing bowl.
Add remaining ingredients, use a spatula to fold in ingredients and distribute evenly.
Place mixing bowl in the refrigerator and chill for an hour.
Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat, spray with EVOO or nonstick cooking spray.
Form into 6 large or 12 small patties, and place on the griddle.
Cook for 6-8 minutes, until browned, and flip.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve on a bun with optional toppers: lettuce, tomato, sprouts, red onion, avocado, cheese, pickles, salsa, etc.

5 comments:

Toni @ Imperfect Pregnancy said...

I am still in the process of learning all the amazing things chickpeas can be used for. These would be a nice change from the classic black bean burger recipe that seems to be every where.

Joanne said...

Totally delicious. I love anything that comes out of the 101 cookbooks kitchen but really there's always room for a new veggie burger in my life.

Kelly said...

I'm always on the lookout for new veggie burger recipes too. This looks fantastic. I definitely need to add them to my already too long list of veggie burger recipes to try.

Melissa said...

I just discovered your blog today and am really enjoying scrolling through your recipes! Always nice to find another vegetarian blog to read!

Caca said...

this is a good recipe, thanks.