August 1, 2014 32 Comments

Smoked Apple Veggie Burger

Name: Smoked Apple Veggie Burger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons ground flax or ground chia; 1/3 cup warm water; 1 cup chickpeas, (drained and rinsed); 2 granny smith apples, (grated and extra juice squeezed out); 1/2 cups rolled oats ((gluten-free if preferred)); 1/3 cup parsley or cilantro, (chopped); 1/2 cup red or yellow onion, (chopped); 2 cloves garlic, (minced); 2 tablespoons soy sauce ((gluten-free if preferred)); 2 teaspoons liquid smoke; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Jump to Recipe

Oh, Smoked Apple Veggie Burger! You smokey apple-y veggie-y burger you! How you seduce me with your golden glow, your sensual aroma, and your pickle on the side. What more could a girl ask for? Maybe a side of Carrot Fries, but that's it, I promise.

There I was standing in my Harry Potter kitchen, (my kitchen is under the stairs, you see), looking around for some inspiration for the 100 Ingredient Recipe Challenge. What ingredient shall I pick this time? I spotted the large bag of apples. Apple pie? No, that's expected. Apple cider? Too hot outside. Applesauce, BORING! This challenge isn't about doing the same old thing everyone expects, this is about exposing how awesome these ingredients are.

So I drummed my fingers on the counter, (much to the annoyance of my dog), and then I heard this funny ticking noise. Looking out the window I saw my neighbour lighting his barbecue with the built in starter button. Then it hit me, gah! Smoke! I love smoke. Not the cigarette kind, that's foul. But the spicy, savoury, drool causing, aroma swirling up through the air kind. Now I had it. Smoke + apple + burger = YUM!

These aren't just any 'ol veggie burger you find in the grocery isle, this is a whole other story. After I polished off one of these bad boys, which took probably less than 60 seconds, I started picking at the baking pan. I ended up eating an entire patty all on it's own. They are just that tasty. Then the next day I crumbled a pattie over a salad of spinach, red pepper, and cucumber with Creamy Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing. Delish!

It took me several batches to nail this just right, 4 to be exact, but I'm happy I took the time. These freeze great as well. Cook them first before popping them in your freezer then just reheat when you are ready to devour.

Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).

In a small bowl mix the ground flax seed with the warm water and set aside. Once it sits for awhile, it will look like this gross goo... but let's be honest, chickens eggs are pretty gross and gooey too.

Rinse your chickpeas. Did you know that most of the stuff that makes beans the musical fruit gets caught in the cooking liquid? So the better you rinse them the less, um, musical you will be. When rinsed and drained pour them into a large bowl and then mash them all up with a potato masher, and set those aside.

Take the large side of a grater and grate your apples up, everything except for the core. When they are all grated and lovely, transfer the apples to the chickpea bowl. As you are doing this, squeeze handfuls of the apple so the juice is left behind.

If you find it annoying to grate into a bowl, you can grate the apples on a cutting board, just don't forget to squeeze the juice out before adding them to the chickpeas.

What to do with the leftover juice? You can discard it, but I like to save it for smoothies, or sauces, or best yet, just guzzle it down immediately. Now that's fresh apple juice!

Add all the rest of your ingredients, including the flax mixture to the bowl with the chickpeas and apples.

And mix it all up until well combined.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly wet your hands and grab a handful of your veggie mixture and form into patties. Smoosh them together so they are firm and will hold their shape.

Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them, and then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until they are brown all over.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes