Today at lunch we tried these couscous burgers.
The first couscous burgers I experimented with some time ago didn’t turn out well, not in taste but in shape: I couldn’t compact the couscous well and ended up with burgers that broke into two or three pieces when turning them in the pan and, even when made smaller, tended to crumble. And to think I added an egg thinking, uselessly, it would serve as a binder.
I didn’t give up and wanted to try again, this time without the egg but with chickpea flour. And it works! 😃
Try them! The couscous burgers (enriched with arugula, black olives, and capers, and scented with lemon) are simple and delicate, making them ideal for children. With two kids aged 9 and 11, I cook simple things suitable for them, and these couscous burgers are intentionally delicate. For those who prefer a stronger flavor, I recommend using an extra clove of garlic or spicing them up by adding curry or ginger.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 7
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
- arugula
- Half lemon
- 10 black olives
- 10 capers
- 1 clove garlic
- breadcrumbs
- sesame seeds
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Saucepan
- Frying Pan
- Spatula
- Burger Press
Steps
Heat some water in a saucepan.
👉 For the water quantity: today I used 2 cups. Usually, the standard dosage is one part couscous and two parts water, but it’s always good to refer to the instructions on the couscous package.
Once boiling, pour in the couscous and chickpea flour, cover with a lid, and wait about 5 minutes.
Desalt the capers by rinsing them with running water and, preferably, soaking them in water for about ten minutes.
Chop capers, olives, and garlic.
Chop the arugula.
Add the chopped mixture to the couscous, scent with lemon juice and the grated zest of half a lemon.
Mix.
Form the burgers using a dedicated burger tool (or shape with hands into patties and flatten).
Mix sesame seeds (already toasted) with breadcrumbs in desired quantities.
👉 Alternatively, use cornmeal (excellent for breading if you don’t have breadcrumbs).
Coat the burgers in the sesame breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing to adhere the breading.
Brown the couscous burgers in a pan with very little oil, just a brush is enough.
Turn them over gently with a spatula.
Serve the couscous burgers nice and hot.
The following two photos are the original photos of this recipe (published April 2014), while all the photos you’ve seen so far in the preparation steps are new photos (updated on June 12, 2023), photos I took specifically to graphically update this recipe.
Two things I want to point out:
One, that the old photos, for all their photographic flaws, still well represent these burgers to me 😊 and so I still enjoy leaving old photos in the recipes;
and two, chickpea flour is essential! I had to make the new burgers with breadcrumbs because I ran out of chickpea flour, but unfortunately – as seen in the cooking photos – cracks and/or breaks occurred. Using chickpea flour, however, this did not happen anymore. 😉
Tips Without Salt
I remind you that I cook without adding salt 😉 If you want to know more, I refer you to this article and, additionally, join my group!
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Decrease salt gradually, the palate needs to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granular and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Sometimes allow yourself to break the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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In my WhatsApp channel and on Instagram, on the Facebook page, in Pinterest and in my two groups: Catia’s group, in the kitchen and beyond and Just what I was looking for! and if you want… subscribe to my Newsletter.
