You're going to love these sturdy, hearty, and delicious spinach burgers! They're made with chickpeas, fresh spinach, and a whole lot of flavor!
When the winds are whipping up a flurry of ice crystals and the temperature demands that you wear a sweater, socks, and a heavy coat, the last thing you want to do is step outside to grill a burger. Not. Going. To. Happen.
So, what’s a person to do if they’re craving a delicious grilled spinach burger in early March, when winter is totally overstaying its welcome? You grill in the warm and cozy comfort of your kitchen.
All you’ll need is an awesome grill pan and a stove. If you don’t have a grill pan, a skillet will work too, you just won’t get those awesome grill marks that remind us of summer.
This is an any time of year, anyone can make, kind of burger. It’s super easy and it will rock your world.
This is not the typical mushy bean burger that you’ve most likely, and unfortunately, have been served at least once in your life. We don’t do mushy, we like burgers that stick together and have a nice and crispy surface, and this burger is all that.
It’s so delicious and full of flavor. We sautéed the onion and garlic and wilted the spinach to remove the excess water before we added it to the base of chickpeas and panko bread crumbs. This gave the burger so much more flavor and ensured that it wouldn’t get soggy.
We also added a liberal amount of nutritional yeast, garlic powder (you can never have enough garlic), tamari, and Italian seasoning to round out the flavor profile. It’s just so good, and good for you.
Now that you’re drooling just thinking about it, let’s make some.
HOW TO MAKE A SPINACH CHICKPEA BURGER THAT’S NOT MUSHY
First – Drain (reserve the liquid) the chickpeas and give them a good rinse. Let the water drain completely and put the beans in a food processor and pulse 5 to 8 times, or until they’re mostly creamy.
Second – Sauté the onion, garlic, and spinach until the onion is translucent and the spinach releases its water. This is important because spinach and onions contain a lot of water. If you put them in the burger raw, they’ll let go of the water when you’re cooking your burger and it will get soggy. No Bueno!
Third – Add the spinach and onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse 5 to 8 times, or until the ingredients are completely blended.
Fourth – Remove the blade from the processor and divide the burger batter by four or six (depending on the size of burger you want) and form into patties, then refrigerate for an hour to set.
Fifth – Brush the grill pan with oil to prevent sticking and heat on medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, add the burgers and cover with a lid. Cook them for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until they’re nicely browned and crispy on the exterior. If you cook them in a skillet, add oil to the pan so the burgers don’t stick, and cook the same as you would on a grill. Make sure you cover them. This will ensure that the interior of the burger gets hot.
That’s all you’ll need to do to make one of our favorite plant-based burgers ever. We like ours two ways. If we’re feeling lumberjack hungry, we go for a tasty pretzel bun to hold it all together. If we’re feeling more delicate, we wrap them in a large lettuce leaf. Our favorite toppings are thinly sliced tomatoes, shredded spinach, and a hefty dollop of mashed avocado or guacamole.
If you haven’t tried these recipes, you need to! Click the links to go to the recipes:
Black Bean & Mushroom Enchiladas
Of course, we hope you make our Spinach Burgers too. When you do, make sure you take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram so we can see!
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Vegan Chickpea and Spinach Burgers
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 stove
Ingredients
- 30 ounce chickpeas reserve the liquid from the can
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or 2 water See Note
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 3 cups heaping cups spinach chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoon aquafaba bean juice
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
To cook the burgers
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 to 6 Hamburger buns see note
Toppings
- Shredded spinach or greens of your choice
- Tomato slices
- Mashed avocado
Instructions
- Drain (reserve the liquid) and rinse the beans and pulse 5 to 8 times in a food processor until they’re mostly creamy. There should be a few pieces of the beans.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until translucent and soft, approximately 7 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted. Remove from the heat.
- Add the onion and spinach mixture to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients and pulse 5 to 8 times or until the ingredients are completely combined. Remove the blade from the processor and dived the batter by 4 or 6 (depending on how large you want them to be) and form into patties. Refrigerate for an hour to set.
- Heat an oiled grill pan or skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the burgers and cover with a lid. Cook for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until they’re nicely browned and have a crisp exterior. Make sure to cover them so they heat all the way through.
Ledge says
If I wanted to make this in a large batch, should I cook and then freeze? Or, should I freeze and cook as I need them?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Ledge, we recommend freezing before cooking so they don't dry out from being cooked twice. 🙂
nicoleanndawson says
I'm so excited for your cookbook to get released...especially if the recipes are as delicious as this one sounds.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Nicole! That means a lot to us. xoxo
Jasmin (veeatcookbake) says
I love the ingredients. I have those always on hand 😍
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Jasmin!
Anjali Lalani says
I really do need more burgers in my life...don't nearly devour as many as i would like! Love that this one is protein and spinach heavy!
Linda Meyer says
They're so easy to make! Thanks, Anjali!
Holly says
I'm always looking for new burger ideas! These look great! And a good way to use up that half bag of spinach I need to use or lose! 🙂
Linda Meyer says
The perfect way to use up leftover spinach. Thanks, Holly!
Stephanie says
Ohhhhh man, this looks soooo good! I'm so hungry right now, I'm practically drooling right on my keyboard over these photos. Can't wait to make them!
Linda Meyer says
We love making people drool! Lol! Thank you, Stephanie. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Wow, these look perfect - agreed on the ingredient list. Can't wait to try, thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Let us know what you think.
Susan says
Do the nutrition facts include the toppings and pretzel bun, or are they reflective of the burger ingredients only? Great recipe! Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Susan, it's just for the burger. Thanks so much!
Dianne says
These are made with some of my favorite ingredients! I can't wait to try them!
Linda Meyer says
Ours too! Thank you!