Chickpea Veggie Burgers

These flavourful burgers are so inexpensive — they’re made with canned chickpeas, which cost about $1 per large can, and flavoured with cumin, onion and cilantro, which makes them taste like a big, crunchy falafel on a bun. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and spring greens, and a dollop of garlicky tzatziki, if you have it.

Prep: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Makes: 4 burgers

Ingredients

1 19 oz (540 mL) can chickpeas, drained

1/4 purple onion, roughly chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp. cumin

1 large egg

salt and pepper

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

olive or canola oil, for cooking

whole wheat buns

spring greens or baby spinach

sliced tomato

tzatziki

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, puse the chickpeas and purple onion until roughly chopped; add the cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, egg, salt and pepper and pulse until well blended. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs.

Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a generous drizzle of oil. Shape the mixture into patties — it may be sticky, that’s OK —and gently lower them into the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping with a thin spatula as they turn golden. Serve on buns with spring greens, tomato and tzatziki.

adapted from Good Food Magazine, 2011