Moroccan Chickpea Burger

This Moroccan chickpea burger has it all: warm Harissa spices to add spark and sass, and delicious chickpeas and bulgur for flavor, texture and protein. Serve atop a wholegrain bun. Patty is soy-free and nut-free, and can be gluten-free.

You can have too much of a good thing — like all of this beautiful snow we’ve been digging ourselves out of in the Northeast — but that maxim just doesn’t apply when it comes to my Moroccan Chickpea Burger. With this one, you are allowed to eat all you want and then some more.

I am a huge fan of Moroccan food, both while eating in and dining out. For one, the food is really vegetarian-friendly, which means there’s no need to go looking for too many substitutions and alternatives. For another, it’s extremely delicious with all of those spices and herbs and beans and grains. What’s not to love?

For my Moroccan Chickpea Burger, I used chickpeas and bulgur as the base for the patty and then built up a ton of flavor using the ingredients in a Harissa paste– a flavoring of oil, garlic, chilies and cumin often added to Moroccan stews. Because I wanted to make the burger patty fat-free I skipped the oil. You can use an oil spray to coat the pan when you cook the patties.

The buns were made with my own, foolproof recipe for Whole Wheat Burger Buns. If you are still buying hamburger buns, please, stop and try these just once. You’ll never want to buy bread again.

I slathered my burger with a vegan mayonnaise, called Nayonnaise, into which I mixed in some Harissa paste for some added zip. You can absolutely leave it out or use another chili flavoring, like the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies.  Your imagination’s the limit. For some green muscle I added baby spinach, but feel free to use mixed greens or lettuce or even baby kale.

This burger patty has a wheat product– bulgur– but you can easily make it gluten-free by using quinoa instead, like I did in these veggie burgers. This recipe is also extremely easy to make and really fast– you can go from start to done in 30 minutes or less– which makes it perfect for weekday and weekend eats.

Is everyone looking forward to the weekend? I know I am because Desi and I are seeing some old and very dear friends after a long time. May yours also be filled with friends, sunshine and fun.

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Oh, and I have something to ask of you too– a favor, really. Holy Cow! has been nominated for The Kitchn’s Homies awards in two categories this year– Best Daily Read Cooking Blog and Best Health & Diet Blog. First of all, many, many thanks for nominating me — I love you! And if you, dear reader, enjoy the blog, please, please head on over to the links above and vote for me. You do need to sign up first, but I will love you double for it. If you don’t, no ill feelings. Thank you!

Now here’s the recipe for my Moroccan Chickpea Burger.

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More recipes from the archives:

Sprouted Mung Bean Burger with Mint Cilantro Chutney

Vegan Tandoori Naan Burger

Chana Masala Veggie Burger with Mint Chutney Mayo

Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Burger

Vegan Barbecue Meatballs

And check out this post on Veggie Burgers for the Grill.

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Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Burger Recipe:

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Moroccan Chickpea Burger

This Moroccan chickpea burger has it all: warm Harissa spices to add spark and sass, and delicious chickpeas and bulgur for flavor, texture and protein. Serve atop a wholegrain bun. Patty is soy-free, nut-free, can be gluten-free.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 burger patties

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients

• For the burger patty:
• 2 cups canned or cooked chickpeas, drained of all liquid and rinsed
• 1/3 cup bulgur or cracked wheat (sub cooked quinoa for gf patty)
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour or besan
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 tsp allspice powder (use a combination of cloves and cinnamon if you don't have this)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• To build the burger:
• 6 whole-wheat burger buns
• Tomato, onions, greens to top the burger
• Vegan mayonnaise mixed with some Harissa paste or adobo sauce

Instructions

• Cook the bulgur by placing it in a saucepan with salt to taste and 2/3rd of a cup of water, bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, slap on a lid, and let the bulgur cook 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and mash with a heavy ladle or potato masher. Leave some larger pieces in for some texture.
• Add all of the other ingredients for making the burger patty, including the bulgur, and mix them well. You should have a mixture that holds together when you press it into a patty.
• Make six patties, each about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.
• Spray a nonstick griddle or cast-iron skillet with oil. Cook each patty for about 3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat or until charred and golden-brown.
• To build your burger, cut each hamburger bun along the middle, and then slather on some vegan mayonnaise. Add greens, an onion ring, top with the burger and more veggies if desired, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Protein: 7.5g | Fiber: 8.7g