Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are kind of legendary. I'm not sure if it's because they're so tasty, or because I have built them up so much in my social circles that everyone is always chomping at the bit to try them.

In any case, the simple truth is that everything is better with cumin. And when it's mixed in with awesome protein (chickpeas) and cooks even on a grill without too much damage, it makes a burger pretty noteworthy. And did I mention that these are soy-free, also? More than you can say about pretty much all the commercial veggie burgers I've come across...

So without further dramatization (as if that wasn't enough), here's how you do it.


The process is simple: mash up some chickpeas and mix a bunch of stuff in, then shape them. The beauty of chickpeas is that they're a natural binder (that is, like an egg replacement), so you can just save some of the chickpea liquid and us it instead of egg, making these totally vegan.






Once you've got a dough-like mixture, you're going to divide and shape the patties. 

Veggie Burgers
Makes 8 patties

1 (16 ounce) can of chickpeas
1/2 red pepper
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or chili flakes
2/3 cup dry vegan breadcrumbs

Drain chickpeas and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. This will be your binder (egg replacement).

Using a potato masher and large bowl, or the food processor, mash the chickpeas. Stir in the reserved chickpea water. Chop the vegetables and garlic very finely. Add to the chickpeas, along with all remaining ingredients, and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into patties. The simplest way is to roll each into a ball and flatten, smoothing out the edges so that they are uniformly round. Keep in mind that these do not shrink with cooking, so don't make them too big around or they will be unnecessarily thin!

To cook the veggie burgers, oil a barbecue and cook gently, about 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through. Alternatively, lightly oil a skillet and fry the burgers a few minutes on each side until nice and brown. Serve with a bun and your favourite toppings and enjoy!

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