Patty Day: Garbanzo Bean Burgers

Did I ever talk about why I’m working through burger and patty recipes? The biggest reason is simple: popularity. Veggie burgers are visible on menus, at cookouts, and in your grocer’s freezer. They’re easy to serve and somehow less threatening than tofu, seitan, or unfamiliar whole grains. When I talk about my cooking to friends and coworkers, they’re typically most interested in how I made a veggie burger. And, importantly, Alex loves the burgers. This is like an adventure for the semi-adventurous.

I’m beginning to get an idea of how to get patties to hold together, and I’ll work on some flavors next. These garbanzo patties were pretty good. I found several similar, simple, recipes scattered on the web. Alex dressed his up on a bun and was singing its praises. I ate mine by itself, proudly forking solid foods, even if they’re mushed and re-formed foods. It was a little bland on its own, but I guess a patty is really intended to be dressed.

I mixed one can of garbanzo beans, a stalk of chopped celery, a carrot, about a quarter cup of diced onion, about a quarter cup of wheat flour, a few spices, some salt, and a splash of water as it was pretty dry. I actually just mashed the beans with everything else; next time I might puree at least half so some get a finer mash and others are left whole.

I took a tip I learned and put the mix in the fridge for a while before forming them into patties. This really helped them stick together! I formed the whole mix into three large patties. They were probably too large, so I’ll remember that for next time. I cooked them on the stovetop, in a small amount of oil for about 15 minutes, and they browned on the outside and warmed on the inside.

This attempt left me feeling pretty good. I think I’m ready to start thinking about my next patties already!