Falafel Burgers #SecretRecipeClub

It’s March Secret Recipe ClubTime!  In SRC, members are secretly assigned another participating blogger and then whip up something delicious from their recipe archives.

This month, I was assigned Corey’s blog, Learning Patience.  Corey is a world traveler, loves food, and loves to run.

I love being assigned bloggers who have been part of SRC for a long time.  It’s like bumping in to an old friend…in fact, Corey had my blog a year and a half ago and totally made one of my recipes better!  You should definitely check it out!

Since Corey describes herself “mostly-vegetarian” and since it’s the season of Lent (I’m Catholic, so we abstain from meet on Fridays until Easter), I decided to make her delicious Falafel Burgers!

You guys.  These were SO GOOD!  Especially with the sauces and fresh pita bread!

Thank you, Corey, for an amazing recipe!

Recipe Note:

You have 3 options with the chickpeas. 

Option 1 (pictured): Soak dried chickpeas but do not cook them (for the why, check this post at Tori Avey’s blog).  This will create a drier, sturdier burger

Option 2: Soak dried chickpeas and cook them according to packaging.  This will create a more tender burger, but should still hold up well (I plan to try this next time)

Option 3: Use 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.  Burgers will be mushier and may need a lot more breadcrumbs.  I’ve used canned beans a lot in the past (see recipes here and here), but the burgers can be very difficult to flip and don’t hold up well to a bun.

Falafel Burgers

Adapted from Learning Patience

Burgers

1 small onion, finely diced

¼ cup canned diced green chilis (½ of the small can)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tsp coriander

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp sea salt

1 ½ cups chickpeas (see note)

Juice & zest from ½ lemon

¼ cup tahini

1/3 cup panko crumbs

1 egg

Lemony Greek Yogurt Sauce

3 tbsp Greek yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

Dash of garlic powder

Salt & pepper, to taste

Toppings

Fresh Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Lettuce

Cucumber ribbons

Sliced avocado

Sriracha (or favorite hot sauce)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and green chilis and cook until the onion is softened.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Scoop the mixture into a bowl and stir in the turmeric, coriander, and salt.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the chickpeas, lemon juice & zest, tahini, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the chickpeas resemble a chunky paste (if it begins to look like hummus – stop blending!)

Scoop the chickpea mixture into a bowl.  Add the onion mixture, panko, and egg.  Mix until well blended and form into 4 patties.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the patties into the hot skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side or until browned and crisp.

Meanwhile, stir together all ingredients for the yogurt sauce.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt sauce, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, and a dash of hot sauce.  Stuff into fresh pitas, if desired.

Serves 4

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