These Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers are jam packed with flavor! This healthy recipe is gluten free, vegan and surprisingly easy to make.
I have been trying to find balance lately. Balance is an elusive beast. AmIright?
I had been feeling more worn out than the pair of sneakers I still have from high school that are hiding in the far reaches of my closet. I love cooking, I love blogging, but a full time job, freelance recipe development, freelance graphic design, and a 1,200 mile move to a new city took it out of me.
All these things were GOOD, don’t get me wrong. But my time was limited by all these demands, and they began to feel like work. Work, work, work, work, work.
The things like design and cooking that I love, began to lose their luster and shine. I was easily working a 60 hour week for months on end.
I just wanted to launch into a major Netflix binge for 27 days straight days. And, my friends, that’s exactly what I did.
I have always been a go-getter. Someone who creates rules and follows schedules. This was a major detour from the normal me. But it was needed.
It was the first time in years that I wasn’t working multiple jobs and keeping up with hobbies. I let myself come home from work and read, and I stayed in bed all weekend watching Netflix. I cooked because I was hungry and wanted something to eat, not because I was keeping up with my blogging calendar.
I said I wouldn’t touch my blog again, not even to make theseMediterranean Chickpea Burgers, until I felt like it, until the passion came back. Because, to be honest, I lost it for a while. But I knew that you deserved my best craftsmanship, not my hurried work.
Then I was scrolling through Instagram while laying in bed one night, and I saw this video and I thought “I want to show my people how to make that!” and I knew I was ready to jump right back into food land.
But this time I am setting rules. There will be no more staying home to blog when all my friends are going out. I am going to make time to go on hikes, go to the beach, and read. I want this blog to be part of my life, not my whole life.
Sometimes I think that we don’t give ourselves room to relax. In this world that seems to run faster than Road Runner, it is hard to remember that it is okay to allow ourselves a break.
We need time off. We need white space in our lives. So much good can happen when we are not so strict with ourselves and our schedules.
So the next time you need a minute, take two. Spend time with your family. Go on an adventure. If you have a bucket list, cross off an item. You deserve it.
Balance is hard, but I am confident we can reach it.
Oh, and I missed you guys.
So today, for you, here is a Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers that you can really sink your teeth into. This burger is juicy, hearty, and oh so very flavorful. It is packed with the tastes of the Mediterranean including sun dried tomatoes, hummus, and parsley.
The Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers gets expertly cooked so that it is seared on the outside and soft and hearty on the inside. Then dollop on a creamy and cool lemon caper sauce to top it off.
Please tell me I’m not the only one drooling here.
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Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers
- Prep Time: 480 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 520 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrees
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
There are a few techniques that will help make this the ultimate veggie burger. – Chilling the burgers overnight is not absolutely necessary, but it produces the best results. It allows the mixture to thicken making it more likely to hold together in the oven, the flavors develop, and the mixture becomes easier to handle when forming into patties. On the other hand, please let the burgers cool before serving. It helps to firm up the burgers and prevents them from becoming mushy. And who wants a mushy burger?
Ingredients
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1 – 15 oz . can chickpeas
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Zest of one lemon and juice from 1/2 of the lemon
- 1/2 cup gluten-free quick oats
- 1/3 cup hummus
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal, plus 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
Lemon Caper sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons plain hummus
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Water to thin
Instructions
- Add the sun dried tomatoes into a large food processor fitted with an S blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add in the chickpeas, onions, and garlic, and pulse until the mixture is resembles course crumbs. Add to a bowl and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover and place in the fridge overnight to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with non stick spray. Set aside.
- Remove the burger mixture from the fridge and form into 4 burger sized patties. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the burgers over and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for ten minutes before serving.
- While the burgers are cooking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, adding enough water until you reach the consistency of mayo.
Notes
– Alternately the sauce can be whisked together the night before, when you are making the patties, and stored in the fridge until ready for use.
Keywords: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, vegetarian
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