Ingredients
- Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers with Sundried Tomatoes with a Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Aioli
- This makes 8 burgers which can be frozen. I buy the sundried tomatoes in olive oil at Trader Joe's, and I buy their frozen basil that is frozen in teaspoon sized portions which quickly thaw and can be added to a myriad of dishes in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. It’s a great way to keep basil on hand at all times.
- makes 8 patties
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/3 cup oatmeal
- 3 handfuls spinach, washed, dried
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 green onions, roughly chopped or 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 2-15oz cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained – hold 1 cup back
- salt and pepper to taste
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- 8.5 oz. jar of sundried tomatoes, drained – reserve 2 tablespoons for aioli
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns
- garlic powder (optional)
- Garnish:
- spinach leaves or romaine lettuce
- sliced onion
- sliced tomatoes
- sliced avocado
- Aioli: Double this recipe if you are making 8 burgers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
- pepper
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon red wine or cider vinegar
Instructions
In a small bowl, add flax seeds and water and mix well. Set aside. You could also use one egg, whisked well if you don’t have ground flax seeds and don’t need it to be a vegan dish.
In a food processor, add oatmeal and pulse until a coarse flour texture. Reserve in a bowl.
Add garlic and green onions to food processor and pulse until chopped. In a skillet with a spray of olive oil, cook until the garlic and green onion mixture is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add spinach to food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Remove to a bowl.
Add 1 ½ cans of chickpeas to the food processor bowl, salt, pepper, zest, juice, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and pulse until the chickpeas are soft but not completely pureed. Add garlic-onion mixture, spinach, oatmeal flour, flax mixture and pulse until combined. Remove blade and add remaining 1 cup of chickpeas and with a spatula, gently mix to incorporate. Taste for seasoning and add more oatmeal flour if mixture seems too loose or more lemon juice if it needs more acid. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the mixture to firm.
In a small food processor, add garlic, and process until chopped. Add sundried tomatoes, pepper, basil, mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon vinegar and mix until combined. Taste for balance of vinegar. Aioli can be made several days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Take a spatula and mark the mixture in half, and then in fourths and then in eighths to help portion the burgers. Form 8 patties and place on a platter.
To cook burgers, lightly spray a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add burgers and cook on 4-5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and wipe out skillet with paper towel.
To heat buns, sprinkle buns with garlic powder (optional) and spray oil onto skillet. Place buns cut side down and sprinkle some water in pan and place a lid over buns to warm through. Cook until lightly browned 2-3 minutes.
To serve: spread aioli on buns and garnish with desired toppings and place chickpea burger and top with bun.
