These chickpea and sun-dried tomatoes burgers are hearty, filling and so delicious made with fresh and nutritious ingredients. Served alone, or on a toasted bun with tzatziki, these will soon become a favorite for you and your family.

If you love falafel, you will definitely love these burgers. I used my falafel recipe and added sun-dried tomatoes and za’atar seasoning to try something different and made them insanely delicious!

What do you need to make Chickpea and Sun-dried tomatoes burgers?

• Dry chickpeas.  As with falafel, you need to use dry chickpeas. They provide the right texture and make the burgers lighter.  Dry chickpeas also make the burgers easier to handle. 
• Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil will infuse the burgers with their sweet-tart flavor.
• Tahini will act as a binder with that delicious nutty sesame flavor
• Sweet onion, leek, and garlic for depth of flavor  – you can replace the leek with more onion if you prefer
• Parsley to add that fresh herb flavor to the burgers
• Lemon juice and lemon zest to add that citrus freshness and tanginess
• Spices: coriander, cumin, and za’atar 
• All-purpose flour to hold the burgers together – and also to make them golden and crispy. 
• Baking soda to soak the chickpeas
• Baking powder to make the burgers lighter and fluffy
• Vegetable, avocado, or olive oil to cook the burgers
• Salt and black pepper

As an optional ingredient, I used 1/2 cup of quinoa flakes to add an extra layer of flavor and nutritional value and quinoa flakes will also help with forming the burgers.

What is Za’atar

Za’atar is a middle eastern dry spice blend that typically consists of a mix of oregano, marjoram, thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. However,  it also has a lot of variations and some of those variations will also include cumin, orange zest, and dill. It has a pungent and earthy flavor and it can be a little bit nutty too, it is exotic but it is so good!  Nowadays it is widely available in grocery stores.

I was introduced to Za’atar by my neighbor in Caracas.  His family was from Lebanon, and they used to sprinkle it on warm olive oil, spread it on flatbread, and then bake it. I can’t even tell you!

It pairs amazingly with lemon, on chicken and vegetables.  Used on these veggie burgers, combined with the tzatziki sauce, this combination is simply to live for!

How to make chickpea and sun-dried tomatoes burgers

1. Soak the dry chickpeas in water overnight in the refrigerator 
2. Rinse and dry the chickpeas with a paper towel and place them in the bowl of the food processor with the rest of the ingredients
3. Pulse until you obtain a coarse mixture
   
4. Form the patties and shallow fry them until golden brown

The perfect complement to enjoying these burgers is thick, creamy, and fresh tzatziki (recipe in notes). Tzatziki is a simple sauce traditionally made with strained or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, herbs (dill, and mint), and olive oil. Most recipes also add lemon juice or vinegar. I am not a big fan of mint so I added za’atar since I was using it in the burgers but sometimes I just add a pinch of oregano instead of mint.

This is an amazing dip or sauce to enjoy in many different ways – so good with crudites, and chips but incredible with falafel and these burgers. 

Serve them on buns toasted in olive oil or ciabatta bread and layer them with fresh lettuce, tzatziki, shaved cucumber, and feta crumbs! Add french fries or sweet potato fries or a light green salad. They are also delicious on their own with coleslaw or couscous Mediterranean salad on the side! 

The recipe for the burgers is vegan but the tzatziki and the feta cheese I used, are made with regular milk.  However, if you want to turn it vegan just use a plant-based yogurt for the tzatziki and plant-based feta cheese for serving and you’re set to go!

Make sure to give these veggie burgers a try (I am sure you’ll love them!) and please let me know how they turn out here or here! xx

Continue to Content

Sun-dried Tomatoes Chickpea Burgers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These chickpea and sun-dried tomatoes burgers are hearty, filling and so delicious made with fresh and nutritious ingredients. Served alone, or on a toasted bun with tzatziki, these will soon become a favorite for you and your family.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans - I don't recommend the use of canned chickpeas
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 2 tbs of tahini
• 1/2 cup of quinoa flakes (optional)
• 2 cups of Italian Parsley, lovely packed
• 1/2 sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, white part, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 1 tbs of lemon zest
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 tsp of coriander
• 1/2 tsp of za'atar
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper or cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder

Instructions

1. Place the garbanzo beans in a big bowl. Add 3 cups of water and 1 tsp of baking soda. Let the beans soak overnight.
2. Rinse the garbanzo beans and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place them in the bowl of the food processor. Add the parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, onion, leek, cumin, coriander, and za'atar. Pulse the processor a few times until you obtain a coarse mixture (with some texture).
3. Add the baking powder and gradually start adding the flour until you can form a ball and the mixture won’t stick to your hand (you should adjust the amount of flour depending on the amount of moisture of the patties).
4. Place the vegetable oil in the pan – up to about 3/4 of an inch. Let the oil warm up and depending on the size of your pan, place 3 – 4 patties and cook for about 3 minutes and then turn them over, until they are golden brown.
   
   Baking the patties: If you prefer to bake the burgers preheat the oven to 400 F for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Notes

Tzatziki

1 cup (8 oz) of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup (4 oz) of cucumber, shredded and drained

2 cloves of garlic, grated

1 tbs of lemon juice

1 tsp of lemon zest

1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp of dill weed

1/2 tsp of za'atar

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of black pepper

Add a pinch of salt to the cucumber and let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Use your hands, a cheesecloth, paper or kitchen towel to squeeze all the excess water from the shredded cucumber and stir it into the yogurt, add the lemon juice, garlic, and spices and mix to combine. Add 1/2 tsp of olive oil and stir until mixed.

Garnish with a pinch of the spices, lemon zest, and drizzle the rest of the olive oil.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 236Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 712mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 6gSugar 6gProtein 10g

This nutritional information is indicative and is not always accurate. It is provided for informational purposes only.

Did you make this recipe?

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