Basil, Garlic, + Tomato Veggie Burgers
/Remember how I was just gushing about my love for cycling?
Well, yesterday I fell off my bike. And when you fall off a bike with clipless pedals the bike goes right along with you. Meaning, it falls on top of you. Before I could unlatch my foot from the pedal I somehow rode off the sidewalk, got caught at the edge, and then fell flat over on the sidewalk. Good thing I was at almost a complete stop and good thing for that helmet. If you have ever worn clipless pedals before you most likely have had a similar experience.
This doesn't dampen my love for cycling, I just found the timing to be funny.
Of course there was a witness to the scene about 10 steps in front of me. To see someone on their bike almost at a complete stop fall flat over must have been quite the site. Embarasssing.
My leg + arm are a little scuffed but nothing too bad at all. These things are bound to happen I suppose!
Now let's talk about these burgers.
And this cheese.
There is a time and place for cheese and this is definitely it.
Gooey, melty, stretchy cheese.
I'm kind of on a temporary hiatus from my go-to Mexican style flavors. They're just not doing it for me at the moment. Veggie burgers are so great to have on hand for dinners and lunches but can get a little boring if you don't change up the flavors every now + again.
This mix of flavors is exactly what I was looking for.
There's the fresh, summery scent from the basil and a kick of robustness from the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
Topped with a thick slice of tomato and fresh mozzarella then sent off to your broiler to get all hot + bubbly.
Served up open-faced style.
Basil, Garlic, + Tomato Veggie Burgers
gluten-free, vegan [w/o cheese topping] // yields 6-8, 3-inch patties
- 2 cups chopped lacinato/dino kale, stems removed + lightly packed
- 1 3/4 cup chickpeas, rinsed + drained
- 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 5 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3-2/3 cup partially ground gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4+ teaspoon salt/pepper
- oil or ghee for cooking
- toppings: sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, 1/2 bun
- Place kale, chickpeas, onion, basil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in your large food processor and pulse until all ingredients are well-chopped and uniform in size. Do not puree. You want the mixture a bit chunky with the chickpeas broken down.
- Add in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add 1/3 cup partially ground oats [ground about 1/2-way to flour], sunflower seeds, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper.
- Stir to combine. The mixture should easily form patties and not feel wet/mushy or dry/stiff, you want it right in between. *If the mixture feels dry, add 1/2-1 tablespoon more olive oil and stir to combine. If the mixture is too wet add 1 tablespoon more of the ground oats at a time until patties form. The amount of oil needed will vary depending on how oily your sun-dried tomatoes + how wet your onioins are. I ended up needing 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup of oats.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add enough oil or ghee to lightly coat the pan.
- Form a few patties while it's heating about 3-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick.
- Once hot add a few patties to the pan [do not overcrowd] and cook for about 5 minutes until golden brown, then carefully flip and cook another 4-5 minutes.
- Place patties on a wire rack and continue to cook the rest of the patties.
- Preheat your oven to broil on high.
- Place burgers on a baking sheet and top with a slice of tomato [lightly patted with a towel] and fresh mozzarella.
- Place until the broiler until bubbling + golden brown. Broil time will vary depending on your oven.
- Top with black pepper + basil and serve over a toasted bun.
And just wait until you see what I do with veggie burgers next week. They're going to end up on a Friday post if that gives you any clues.
In the meantime, enjoy these summery-style burgs!
Ashley
pssst...check out this mountaintop wedding I shot in May over on my photography site!
Also! If you live in the Denver/Ft. Collins/Boulder area I'm running a summer photo special! Contact me for more details! The photo below is a shot from my sister-in-law's senior photo session last week.
