Ultimate Veggie Burgers

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My ultimate veggie burgers are made with chickpeas, butternut squash, leeks, mushrooms, and tahini, coated with polenta (cornmeal), and gently fried until they are crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.

I was inspired to come up with these veggie burgers because so often when I make new recipes, some of my friends point out that they would love to try them out but can’t, due to gluten or soy issues. This makes me sad. My good friend, Gaelen, is unlucky enough to have both. This makes me really sad.

I thought it was high time, therefore, to come up with something that all of my friends can enjoy, whether they are vegetarian, vegan, omnivore, or have problems with gluten and soy.

And for me personally, I wanted something really filling and nutritious that I could have on fasting days. At only 160 calories per burger, these are perfect. Veggie burgers on a fasting day? Yes please!

Serve these veggie burgers in a bun or tortilla, with green salad, a little dressing of your choice, and maybe some tomato slices. Or forget the bun, and wrap in an iceberg lettuce leaf for a healthier, and low-calorie alternative.

Making veggie burgers

These ultimate veggie burgers are so easy to make: simply cut your squash in half, remove the seeds, place onto a baking tray, skin side down, fill the dip where the seeds were with water, and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes, until the flesh is soft. While it’s cooking, gently sauté the leeks, garlic, and mushrooms, until they have caramelised, and come away cleanly from the skillet.

Roughly mash the chickpeas, and mix in the aquafaba, tahini, paprika, Vegeta, and parsley. Once the leeks, garlic, and mushrooms have caramelised, taste, and season with freshly ground salt and pepper, then mix into the chickpea mixture, along with the mashed flesh from the squash.

You should now have a firm but not dry, burger mix. Heat a little oil in a skillet, make patties, coat in polenta, and fry each side for 3-4 minutes, until they have a crispy golden crust.

These also work really well without the crispy coating.

Outtakes

By the way, this is what happened when I left amato mio alone with the veggie burgers while I was photographing a second batch as they were cooking…

Apparently he liked them. A lot.