Burger Week

It’s Burger Week in The Boardman Household! For any of you Great British Baking Show fans, you know that opening for the tent.

I have gotten in a routine of making similar meals week after week and decided it was time to mix it up & create some new favorites!

So rather than taking on too much upfront I am using one current household favorite – Thai Chickpea Patties with Asian Slaw – and adapting our Buffalo Chickpea “Meatballs” & Southwest Salad into burger patties to match the theme.

Thai Chickpea Patties & Asian Slaw
Buffalo Chickpea “Meatballs” & Southwest Salad

Our two new recipes will feature Mediterranean & Southwest flavors to give each night a new twist.

First up was our Mediterranean burger patties & Greek Salad. When I travelled through Greece in college it amazed me how a salad made up of such simple ingredients could taste so good. I craved these fresh flavors for years to follow.

As I developed the Mediterranean patties to pair with the salad, I worried it wouldn’t be flavorful enough. Would I need some fresh herbs? Do I load it up with feta cheese to trick people into liking it?

Apparently not, because after the first blitz through the food processor I taste-tested my burger mix and it was packed with flavor! Check out this recipe below, but don’t stop reading or you will miss the Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burger recipe that’s up next.

Mediterranean Burgers with Greek Salad

Print Recipe
Servings 4 Burgers

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Burger

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 can (14oz) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 Tbsp green onions, chopped
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil

Greek Salad

  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 Tbsp feta cheese
  • 4 Tbsp Kalamata olives optional based on your taste preference
  • 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce

Simple Red Wine Dressing

  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 Tbsp water

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the simple Red Wine Dressing by whisking in a bowl or measuring cup until ingredients are well combined. Pour into small storage container & et aside in the refrigerator.
  • Add the rolled oats to the food processor and blend until it turns into a fine powder.
  • Add the chickpeas, red onion, green onion, feta cheese, garlic, oregano, nutritional yeast, lemon juice & salt. Pulse in the food processor until everything is finely chopped and well mixed. You may need to stop and scrape down the edges with a rubber spatula to well incorporate all ingredients.
  • Remove from food processor and place mixture in a bowl. Mix together with hands and divide into 4 parts. Shape mixture with your hands into the 4 patties.
  • Slice the red onion for the salad into thin strips and soak in a bowl of water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Then drain and save for salad. (this removes the bitter flavor)
  • Coat the bottom of a skillet with the 1 tablespoon of oil and place on medium heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, arrange the patties in the skillet. I recommend adding only 2 patties at a time. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Repeat with the final 2 patties, adding an additional 1 tablespoon to the skillet first.
  • While the patties are cooking or while they cool slightly, prepare the greek salad. Chop lettuce, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes and add to a large bowl. Add in sliced red onions & crumbled feta. Include olives (if desired). Toss with Red Wine Dressing.
  • Divide the salad and patties amongst 4 plates & enjoy!
    Optional toppings for patties: Hummus, Taziki Dip, or Avocado slices.

If you loved my Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas then this burger recipe will be your next favorite! We’re heading south of the border for this inspiration and adding a little bit of heat.

My favorite frozen veggie patties, before I even turned plant-based, were the Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean. They pack so much flavor that I didn’t miss the meat.

This recipe was made in the development of chasing those warm hearty flavors & I have to say it met all my cravings.

Plus what goes better with burgers than fries? All week I have developed amazing flavors in Burger Week, but until now, none have paired with fries.

Typically, I am partial to sweet potato fries. But since sweet potatoes are already in my burger, I opted for my favorite recipe hack…Trader Joe’s Zig Zag Butternut Squash! They’re meant to imitate crinkle-cut fries & while they may not be Shake Shack fries, they do the trick.

You will eat clean for this full meal and feel energized instead of entering a food coma after a regular Shake Shack indulgence.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers

Print Recipe
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (made from one medium baked sweet potato)
  • 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 cup white or red onion, diced & sauteed
  • 2 Tbsp salsa verde
  • 3 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional based on heat preference
  • 3/4 cups rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Skin sweet potato and cut off ends. Poke with fork all around 7-10 times. Wrap in foil. Add to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in saute pan over medium heat. Dice red or white onion and add to saute pan. Add in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add in salsa verde and continue to saute for 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Once the sweet potato is done cooking place in large bowl & mash. Add rinsed & drained black beans to the mashed sweet potato & mash together. Add in sauteed onion, garlic and salsa to the mixture. Mix in salt, ground cumin, cayenne pepper & bread crumbs until well combined.
  • Divide mixture into 5 portions. Form mixture into a ball in hands and smash down to flatten into patties.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 2-3 patties to the pan and heat on each side for 5 minutes. Repeat until all patties are cooked.
  • Serve with roasted vegetables, top with avocado & enjoy!
    Feel free to serve this burger in a lettuce wrap or burger bun if desired.