Vegan Burger

This past weekend, I hosted quite a few very good friends.
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Good enough to use them as guinea pigs for my vegan burger experiments, knowing they would provide honest and constructive criticism for every recipe and dish I served.

What did I serve them, you ask?

Oh! I served them fresh little whole wheat buns I baked (separate post on that coming soon) and a vegan burger made from chickpeas and tofu that paired beautifully with the large selection of salads I prepared (also a separate post coming soon – patience, please!).

To my great delight, the opinions were unanimously positive, so I felt comfortable and confident sharing the recipe with you today.

This vegan burger is perfect for grilling because it doesn't fall apart on the grill, doesn't dry out at all, and can be prepared in advance, frozen, and thawed before the barbecue.

How does it taste, you ask?

It has a delicate "barbecue" flavor (even without using a grill) thanks to the BBQ sauce that can be found in almost any supermarket.

You can also make it at home, and all you need is a good, heavy grill pan.

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Apr 14, 2018 at 7:07am PDT

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Some nutritional values from clinical dietitian and fitness instructor, Noam Bachar:

Each patty contains:

170 kcal, 17g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 7g fat (of which 0.5g is saturated fat), 1.5mg iron, 48mg calcium.

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Vegan Burger

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\n\t\t\t Prep Time 5 minutes\t\t

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\n\t\t\t Cook Time 20 minutes\t\t

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\n\t\t\t Total Time 25 minutes\t\t

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\n\t\t\t Servings 8 patties\n\t\t

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Ingredients

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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t150\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tg \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFirm Tofu\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thalf a package\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcups \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCooked Chickpeas\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrozen or canned works too\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttablespoons \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhole Wheat Flour\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tchickpea or lentil flour also work\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttablespoons \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBBQ Sauce\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGarlic Cloves\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tminced\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttablespoons \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOlive Oil\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tteaspoon \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTurmeric\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tteaspoon \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPaprika\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOnion, sliced\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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• \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1/2\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcup\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBeer\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPale lager preferred\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Instructions

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1. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
   Grate the tofu using a grater and pat away excess liquid with a clean towel.
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   Process the chickpeas in a food processor and transfer to a deep bowl along with the tofu.
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   Sauté the onion with one tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes until lightly golden and add to the bowl.
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   Add all other ingredients to the bowl except for the remaining olive oil and mix well until a uniform mixture is formed.
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   Place the mixture in the refrigerator for half an hour to let the flavors meld.
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   Preheat the oven to medium heat (180°C).
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7. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
   With wet hands, form flat patties and place them on greased parchment paper (don't worry if they feel a bit too wet; they will firm up during baking).
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   Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the patties and bake for 20 minutes.
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   Remove and set aside (can also be frozen) until you're ready to light the grill.
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    When the grill is hot and the coals are glowing, lightly grease each patty with a bit of olive oil and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. A well-greased grill pan works great too!
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