I’ve never been a hamburger fan. While I do love meat (sausage, steak and lamb please!) I’ve never been a big fan of hamburgers. Still, I love a good veggie burger. There’s something so comforting about the slight crunch on the outside, and the all-over healthy mushy veggieness on the inside (as you can tell I’m no food writer). SO, I’ve been looking for different recipes so that I can take on this task of making myself a good and quick veggie burger without just opening my freezer and grabbing a Morningstar burger patty (I tend to keep the Spicy Black Bean, Asian and Tomato and Basil Pizza Burgers on hand at all times). Well, here’s one recipe that I recently tried. It made a pretty good burger, but I’m still looking for another one to try that has a different flavor. B – who has a self-proclaimed “meat tooth” – even liked them! He ate two (with a plethora of hot sauces), asked to take the leftover for lunch, and said “If you make these again I’ll eat them.” I was stunned – and ecstatic!

Do you have any recommendations of other easy (meaning not only not complicated but likely I have all the ingredients on hand), quick veggie burger recipes?

Easy Spinach and Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Here’s what you need:

• 2 Cups Fresh Spinach
• 1 Can Chickpeas, Drained
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 1/3 Cup Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal (I used this)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt/pepper to taste

Here’s what you do:

1. Heat oven to 475.
2. Place all ingredients into an electric mixer.
3. Slowly mix ingredients together, until they form a chunky liquid-like texture. The texture is almost like a thick cookie dough – moist but still moldable.
4. Make batter into 5-6 veggie burger patties. Place patties on nonstick pan (or tin foil sprayed with Pam on top of a pan) and place into pre-heated oven.
5. Cook each side for about 8-10 minutes. They should be lightly brown and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, when through. You could also cook them on top of the stove or on a grill if you prefer.
6. Enjoy! I like to serve mine on a wheat roll or English muffin with avocado, feta and arugula. Feel free to add ketchup or mustard if that’s your thing!  I also made these with homemade oven baked fries.

More good news? Depending on how big you make the patties, they can be anywhere from 120-200 calories a burger!

The spinach/chickpea patties before they went in the oven

burger and homemade baked fries in the oven

Homemade veggie burger! Served mine with avocado, side salad and baked fries.