Generally speaking, I don’t object to the idea of meatless burgers. What I object to are meatless burgers that pretend they aren’t meatless.
As in many of the frozen patties found at the grocer. Though there are some fine exceptions, too many of them try too hard to replicate the flavor and texture of meat.
Thing is, if I want the flavor and texture of meat, I’ll do something crazy. Like eat meat.
I firmly believe it’s possible to make a great meatless burger that is delicious in its own right, not because it attempts a guise of beef. I usually draw my inspiration from the original veggie burger: falafel.
Made from ground chickpeas, these patties traditionally are fried, but also can be cooked in a skillet or baked. And because chickpeas are agreeable to a broad range of flavors, it’s easy to play with the seasonings and other ingredients.
I made these burgers as sliders (small burgers). As with most homemade veggie burgers, the larger you make them the more likely they are to fall apart.
Miso chickpea sliders
8 tablespoons sweet white miso, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
11/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil (canola or vegetable oil can be substituted)
Sliced tomato
Leaf lettuce
8 mini burger buns
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the miso and the mayonnaise. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, remaining 6 tablespoons of miso, cilantro, olive oil, garlic powder, five-spice powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Pulse until coarsely chopped, but not pureed.
Form the mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches around and about 1 1/2 inches thick. As you are forming the patties, use your fingers to firmly pack them.
Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. One at a time, set each patty in the bowl and pat breadcrumbs onto all sides of it.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the patties and cook until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If the patties start to stick, add another tablespoon of oil when flipping.
Serve the burgers on buns topped with miso-mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.
Makes 8 sliders. Per slider: 456 calories; 176 calories from fat (39 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 9 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 9 g fiber; 1,482 mg sodium.
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