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Spinach-Chickpea Burgers

Time 1 hour
Yields Makes five 4-inch burgers
Spinach-Chickpea Burger
(Photographer Josh Schaedel / For The Times
Food/Prop Stylist Sidonie Loiseleux / For The Times)
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This veggie burger features so many of my favorite things in a veggie burger: hearty chickpeas, fortifying spinach, a hint of nutty toasted cumin seeds and a final finish of fresh lemon. It’s also very easy. As with most burgers in this book, be sure to add the beans in two stages to create texture in the finished burger. I like to serve them accompanied by traditional burger fixings: lettuce, tomato and mustard.

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1

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and spinach and cook, tossing with tongs, until the spinach is completely wilted, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a heat-safe plate and allow to cool until safe to handle. Drain if necessary, wrap in a towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Chop finely.

2

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 ¼ cups (213 grams) of the chickpeas, the eggs, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles a chunky hummus. Add the spinach, the remaining chickpeas and the chickpea flour, pulsing to combine but leaving some texture intact. The mixture should be sticky but somewhat pliable. If too wet, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too dry, add a bit of water. Shape into 5 patties and let stand for at least 20 minutes (or up to a few hours in the refrigerator).

3

To cook, warm a wide skillet over medium heat, then add the remaining oil. Add as many burgers as will fit comfortably without crowding the pan (usually 3 burgers will fit into a 10-inch/25-centimeter skillet), and cook until browned and crisped on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. The burgers will firm up a bit as they cook, and further once they’re removed from the heat and have cooled slightly.

4

If you want to grill the burgers, cook the burgers in a cast iron skillet placed on the grill grate over direct heat on a charcoal or gas grill. This will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes total, depending on the strength of your grill. If you want grill marks, place the burgers directly over the grill grates once they’ve firmed up. Serve warm.

Recipe from “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition: Fresh, Flavorful, and Healthy Plant-Based Burgers — Plus Toppings, Sides, Buns, and More” © Lukas Volger, 2010, 2023. Reprinted by permission of publisher the Experiment, theexperimentpublishing.com