Chickpea Burgers

My love for the garbanzo is never ending. Today, I sculpted the little treasures into burgers that can be served on a bun or on a bed of fresh greens. Chickpeas are higher in protein per serving than soy beans and by nature are gluten free.

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper, spices
Garbanzo flour ( I use Bob's red Mill)

Oil for frying

A note about the ingredients: This is only a basic recipe for you to start with. If you prefer green bell peppers, switch out the red. Don't like peppers at all? Don't use them. Add cajun spices or curry powder for a different tasting burger. The chickpeas base can be flavored in any way desired. Regular all purpose flour can be used in place of the garbanzo flour, but then your burger will no longer be gluten free.

Warm up a large skillet on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of oil. Saute  the diced vegetables until they are softened. Add salt, pepper and desired spices. Set aside to cool off a bit.

In the meantime, mash the chickpeas with a fork or use a food processor, until they mushy but not quite even in texture.

Before

After: Next time I think I will mash them a little more.

Add your vegetables to your chickpea mash and stir together with your hands until  the mixture is even. Add the garbanzo flour in tablespoon increments until the mixture begins to hold together. Depending on the moisture of your vegetables, about 1/2 a cup of flour will be necessary. Form a patty in your hands. If it holds together you are ready to cook it; if not add a little more of the flour until you have a good consistency. This takes a little trial and error. If unsure about the right consistency, fry a small one up and see if it holds together in the pan.

Wipe your now cool skillet down with a paper towel to clean it off and place it back on medium heat. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom and once the oil is warm (drop a little mash in and see if the oil sizzles), add your patties. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until each side is golden brown. Carefully remove with a spatula from the frying pan unto paper towels to absorb excess oil. 

Next time I make these I might try to bake them instead by placing them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, spraying them lightly with a little oil, and baking in a 375 oven until brown.