Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Chickpea Sliders


Mark Bittman says "If you like hummus, this is your kind of burger." Well Mark, I happen to love hummus. I crave it. I need it. I simply have to have it on a regular basis. When my friend girlichef made these burgers I knew it was a recipe that I had to try.

The chickpea burgers can be made in about 20 minutes and make a great, quick, and economical lunch or dinner. You'll need no more than a can of chickpeas, some spices, a little onion, some flour and an egg. That's it!

Chickpea Burgers (or sliders)
Adapted from Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman
Drain a can of chickpeas and put them in a food processor with a chopped shallot or some onion, a bit of oregano, paprika, salt and an egg. Pulse the mixutre until it's slightly grainy but even in consistency. Add enough flour-about a quarter cup-so you can form the mixture into flat burger patties. Sear them in olive oil until golden, about four minutes per side. Serve on good whole grain bread or a bun with tahini (optional), greens, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

I do like to make my own bread, but in a pinch these Wheat Slider buns from Pepperidge Farm are a great store-bought product. (Note: I didn't receive them for free, we just happen to like them).

Notes/Results
: The chickpea burgers were slightly crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside. The flavor was a little mild so next time I will probably add in some garlic and quite possibly some curry power or cumin. I garnished mine with a drizzling of tahini, diced red onion, green leaf lettuce and a good squeeze of lemon. The chickpea patties would even be good on their own, without the bun as part of a salad or even with veggies on the side. I really like that this is a simple meal that can be made with the most basic pantry items. I will definitely make this one again, tweaking the recipe with new spices and condiments.

I am submitting this recipe to I Heart Cooking Clubs for this week's Potluck theme.

I am also submitting this to my friend Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer! It's going by fast. My daughter, who is going into the 4th grade, just received her school supply list and classroom instructions in the mail today. School will be back in session in about 3 weeks!
Soak up the sunshine!

21 comments:

  1. This sounds really delicious. The patties are very much like falafel, save for the flour binder and lack of cumin. If you love one, chances are you'll love the other. I have to give these a try. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  2. I made chickpea burgers before, but mine fell apart...I guess the key is using a food processor...I justed mashed mine with a fork.

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  3. What a great idea! I would love to give these a try.

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  4. Seeing as how I crave hummus approximately every second of every day...I need to make these! Whoa do they look good.

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  5. Yum. I am a fan of hummus and falafels. This is a must try for me. Thanks for sharing. I think I know what is for dinner tomorrow night ;o)

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  6. I love hummus, and I love this idea. I am thinking i would do mine open faced with tomato. Absolutely yummy.
    *kisses* HH

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  7. Yup, I really enjoyed these, too...although your photos looks a bazillion times better than mine did! I like the simplicity factor, as well...and I CANNOT believe how fast summer is speeding by! I was just thinking about that myself this morning. Seemed to last forever when we were kids, didn't it? (thanks for the love ;) )

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  8. Ok, ok, you got me. I'm torn. I do love hummus, but I can't stand a ckicpea by itself. This seems like it'd be a nice cross between the two and I'm already thinking of seasonigns to add to it. Just might have to give it a try!

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  9. I like the adaptions your are going to do next time you make this recipe. I already looks delicious but with those changes I think it will be even better.

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  10. Thank you for this recipe! I had no idea what to make for dinner tonight and now I do. You have a great blog here, I'm glad I found you!

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  11. I am going to have to try these--I tried the lentil ones but I imagine the chickpea ones are even better. I agree--extra garlic, cumin and more spice. ;-)

    Thanks for sending them to Souper Sundays!

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  12. So cute! They sound delish, and I love those tiny slider buns. I bet kids love those!

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  13. Thank you for this recipe. Don't you love Mark Bittman. You have to check out his recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana. I hope my husband will give these a try!

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  14. Kim, I can't wait to make these but I'm just curious, what size can of chickpeas did you use? I think we only get one size here, it's fairly large and it's in ml, not ounces, but if you tell me what ounce can you used I can figure it out. Thanks!

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  15. Healthy choice...nice looking photos too :-) I see you are reading Farm to Fork now and I was wondering how are you liking it. I am on reserve for it at my local library...can't wait to get it.

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  16. Hummus as a burger - what a neat idea!

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  17. Oh yum! I recently tried my hand at homemade falafel but this recipe seems much easier. A good excuse to make tzatziki!

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  18. I love that bakeries are finally making slider buns available, but I still love those King Hawaiian rolls for their sweetness.

    I like your ideas for flavoring up the patties, good ideas!

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  19. It has been WAAAAAY too long since I have made hummus. You are making my mouth water.

    And they are so dang cute!

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  20. I don't know how I missed this post! Caught it in Deb's round-up. These sliders sound positively delicious! They would be a big hit in my house. One thing we all agree on is that we love chickpeas.

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  21. The only thing I'd do differently would be to use dried chickpeas. Wash them (sort them first...) really well, then soak them overnight with a little bit of baking soda. The next morning, drain and rinse them. Taste one. You'll be amazed.

    Then put them (UNcooked) through the food processor with the other ingredients for your burgers. The resulting texture is much much better. (Or at least we think it is.)

    -Elizabeth

    If you're curious, here is our recipe for vegetarian burgers:
    http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=567#recipe

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