Serves/Yields: 7–8 patties
For me, sneaking veggies is about cooking with them creatively. Sure, red peppers and carrots add nutrients to these burgers . . . but also flavor, moisture, and color!
Ingredients for Sneaky Chickpea Burgers:
- 1 cup carrot, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 medium-large clove garlic
- 2 cans (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 tablespoon tahini (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cup rolled oats
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the carrots, bell pepper, and garlic, until crumbly and broken down. Then add the chickpeas, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, tahini, rosemary, sea salt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and vinegar and process through.
- Stop the processor a few times and scrape down the sides, and continue to process until smooth. Then add the rolled oats and pulse through.
- Remove the bowl from the processor and place in the fridge to chill the mixture for about a 1/2 hour; it really makes the burgers easier to shape.
- After chilling, take out scoops of the mixture and form burgers in your hands. I scoop generously with an ice cream scoop, roughly 1/3–1/2 cup for each.
- To cook, place the patties on a nonstick skillet that has been wiped with a touch of oil over medium/medium-high heat.
- Let cook on one side for 7–8 minutes, or until golden brown. Then flip, and let cook for another 5–7 minutes on the other side.
- Alternatively, these patties can be placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and baked at 400°F for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through; however, I prefer the sear and texture that pan-cooking offers. Serve on buns with the fixings of your choice!