Chickpea Burgers

Chickpea Burgers

Burris, Ken

Provided by: EatingWell

45 mins total 45 mins prep 478 calories/serving Full Screen

Servings

These chickpea burgers are similar to falafel, but with the added whole-grain goodness of brown rice and wheat germ. Serving them on pita breads with thick slices of tomato and a dab of plain yogurt continues the Middle Eastern theme, but if you want to take it even further, drizzle with a little sauce made with minced garlic and tahini thinned with water and lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 2/3 cup wheat germ, divided
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 6-inch whole-wheat pita breads, warmed
• 8 slices tomato
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 4 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

Directions

• 1. Heat a small skillet over low heat. Add sesame seeds and toast, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add coriander and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Grind with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder; set aside.
• 2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• 3. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. (Alternatively, preheat a grill to medium-high.)
• 4. Coarsely mash chickpeas in a medium bowl with a potato masher. Stir in rice, 1/3 cup wheat germ, lemon juice, salt, pepper, the reserved spice mixture and the scallion mixture; mix well. Shape the mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Place the remaining 1/3 cup wheat germ in a shallow dish and dredge the patties, pressing the wheat germ onto them firmly. If broiling, place the patties on a lightly oiled rack set on a baking sheet. (If grilling, oil the grill rack; see Tip.)
• 5. Broil (or grill) the patties until browned and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Tuck the burgers into pitas with tomato slices, spinach and yogurt.
• Tip: Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won’t stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

• Filed under:
• Vegetable,
• Fruit,
• Grain,
• Rice,
• Tomato,
• Bean & Legume,
• Middle Eastern,
• Broiling,
• Easy,
• Low Cholesterol,
• Low Fat,
• Vegetarian,
• Kid-Friendly,
• High Fiber,
• Healthy,
• Main Dish,
• Dinner,
• Fall,
• Spring,
• Summer,
• Winter,
• Fourth of July,
• Entertaining

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