Veggie burgers with cannellini beans, roasted red peppers, green olives, artichokes, feta cheese and fresh herbs with a bright-as-sunshine lemon caper mayo.
I’ve been making a lot of veggie burgers lately. I’m going through a phase.
Some things I know to be true.
Bean burgers are delicate compared to their ground meat counterparts.
There’s no getting around the fact beans are softer than meat making the patties far less sturdy. I always cook mine in a cast iron skillet and just like a hamburger I only flip them once. Carefully.
They are best served on soft buns and cut in half. Your fingers are the perfect size for holding half the burger, it helps keep them together and makes for easier eating.
Putting one of these burgers on a crusty, chewy bun is a disaster waiting to happen. They will turn into a mushy mess. Been there. Done that. Never going back.
I like to make a big bowl of these and tuck them away in my fridge to pan-fry up fresh whenever the urge hits. They stay good for days.
Sometimes, if I’m especially motivated I cook them all up and freeze them individually. A quick go in the microwave or the skillet is all it takes to heat them up.
I love having something so delicious and satisfying at my fingertips that can be ready to eat in mere minutes.
Veggie burgers with cannellini beans, roasted red peppers, green olives, artichokes, feta cheese and fresh herbs with a bright as sunshine lemon caper mayo.
Ingredients
- a few tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small yellow or red onion, diced
- 1 roasted red pepper, diced
- 4 artichoke hearts, diced (canned, frozen or jarred)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 heaping cups cooked chickpea or cannellini beans (or 2 cans (14 ounce) drained and rinsed)
- 1/3 cup green or black olives, diced
- 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and basil, minced
- 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- sea salt and fresh black pepper
- Mayonnaise:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 3 heaping tablespoons capers
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
- For serving:
- soft buns
- baby spinach leaves
- sliced tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a small skillet and saute the onion, red pepper and artichoke hearts over medium-low heat about 5 minutes; add garlic and saute 2 more minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Use a potato masher to mash the beans in a large bowl leaving it a little chunky. Use a fork to mix in the olive, feta, herbs, bread crumbs and cooled vegetables; season well with salt and pepper.
- Use heaping 1/2 cups to form into 7 patties. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat; cook patties 6 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile whisk together the mayo, capers and lemon juice.
- Serve on warm, soft buns with spinach, tomatoes and a dollop of mayo. Slice burgers in half.
Notes
Beans make very soft burgers, a lot softer than traditional ground meat. Serve on soft buns and slice in half for easier eating. This keeps the fragile burgers from falling apart.
This is a really cool recipe for veggie burger. Gonna definitely give it a try tonight!
This looks great!! Wow the lemon mayo sounds so tasty and refreshing. Maybe a veggie burger is something I’ve always wanted to try. Thanks for sharing this great dish.
-Thursdays
yeah, another bean burger. I love the artichoke, olive AND roasted red pepper. These sound amazing. You know, I have too many of your recipes bookmarked to make, you’ve got to stop tempting me so much!
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