As a nursing major, I’m becoming more aware of what’s in the foods I eat every day and the effects they have on my body. It’s scary and overwhelming but with one recipe at a time, I’m hoping to improve my diet to take care of my body. It’s important to take baby steps and set a realistic, positive goal.
Here is the most recent recipe I’ve tried out- Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers. Jolinda Hackett created a simple, easy-to-follow guide on how to make your own veggie burgers! It took me quite a bit of time to make these, but honestly, the process was fun. I felt very accomplished looking at the finished product. In terms of taste, the burgers themselves were a little bland so the tomato and lettuce topping really saved the meal, and in my opinion are necessary. I personally love veggies burgers, although I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, and after trying this meal I think I prefer black bean veggies burgers- chickpeas are great though!
If you are vegan, vegetarian, or just wanting to incorporate nutritious meals into your life this recipe is worth trying out!
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned chickpeas (set aside chickpea liquid)
- 1 stalk celery, diced small
- 1 small carrot, grated or finely chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
for serving/Toppings
- Buns or large lettuce leaves (for serving)
- Lettuce (for topping)
- Tomato (for topping)
- Red Onion (for topping)
- Condiments of your choice
Instructions
- Drain chickpeas and reserve 4 to 5 tablespoons of chickpea liquid.
- Using a food processor, pulse chickpeas 3 to 4 times. (Do not pulse for longer as you have the potential of making hummus instead of burgers.) The chickpeas should be crumbly, but not mush. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a fork or potato masher!
- Transfer mashed chickpeas to a large bowl and combine with celery, carrot, onion, garlic powder, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Add some of the reserved chickpea liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture can create a patty that holds together nicely.
- Form 4 patties, place on a small baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper, and put in the freezer for a few minutes to help them firm up. (Personally, I think the mixture could make more than 4 if you don’t want large patties).
- Heat oil in a skillet or lightly grease a grill pan. Gently transfer patties to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Be careful as you flip them since the burgers are delicate.
- Serve on buns or lettuce wraps with your choice of toppings and condiments and enjoy.