Broccoli and Chickpea Burgers: The Tasty and Protein-Packed Vegetarian Recipe
Broccoli are the undisputed stars of the winter table. Besides being versatile, they are a true superfood: rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants typical of the cruciferous family.
If you’re looking for an original way to make this vegetable appreciated even by kids or those who are more skeptical, these broccoli and chickpea burgers are the perfect solution. They are healthy, light, and flavorful vegetarian patties, ideal for those looking for a plant-based alternative to meat.
Why try these Vegetarian Burgers?
High protein value: The combination of broccoli and chickpeas creates an energetic and nutritious second course, perfect for replacing meat or fish.
Easy and quick: The preparation is very simple and requires only a few steps.
Versatile cooking: You can cook them in the oven for a lighter version or in a pan for an irresistible crust.
How to Prepare Broccoli Burgers (Without Molds)
To make them, just clean the broccoli and blanch the florets for a few minutes. Once worked with the other ingredients, you will have a firm dough that is easy to shape. You can use a pastry cutter for a perfect shape or simply shape them with your hands.
The tasty touch: Try them with a heart of melty cheese inside or leave them simple for a lighter version. They will satisfy the whole family!
If you love meat or fish alternatives, try these other interesting ideas:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 9 burgers of 3 1/8 Ø
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
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- 1 lb lbs broccoli
- 1/2 cup cups cooked, boiled chickpeas
- 1 egg
- 3 oz oz provola (or scamorza)
- 1/2 cup cups breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup cups grated parmesan
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Pastry Cutter
Steps
To prepare the baked chickpea and broccoli burgers, first clean the broccoli, cutting it into florets. Dice the stems with a knife and remove the outer skin of the florets.
Once cleaned, wash everything under running water and blanch them for 10-11′ in a large saucepan with plenty of salted water.
Drain the florets and stems with a slotted spoon, let them cool slightly by transferring them to a mixing bowl, and mash them lightly with a potato masher.
Add the pre-cooked chickpeas, previously rinsed under running water, the egg, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste.
Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until all the ingredients are reduced to a puree.
At this point, also add the parmesan and the breadcrumbs and mix with a spatula until the mixture is fairly homogeneous.
With your hands, take amounts of dough one by one and press lightly in the center to make room for the cheese.
Then, place a nice cube of provola in the center.
Cover with a bit more dough, seal with your hands, and form the burgers.
Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or use a pastry cutter if you want to make regular burgers. Drizzle them with a little oil on top and bake in a static oven at 392°F for about 25′, then flip them and continue cooking for another 5′ or until golden brown.
Serve them immediately while still warm.
And voilà… the chickpea and broccoli burgers are ready to enjoy!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 The baked chickpea and broccoli burgers can be stored in the fridge in appropriate containers for 2-3 days, only if you have used all fresh ingredients. You can freeze the burgers either raw or cooked, keeping them up to 3 months.
Raw: It’s the best method if you want to cook them at the moment and have maximum crispness. Place them on a tray, let them harden in the freezer for an hour, and then transfer them into freezer bags.
Cooked: Useful for “time-saving” meals. Make sure they are well chilled before freezing to prevent ice crystals from forming, which would ruin the texture of the chickpeas. To prevent the burgers from becoming soggy, avoid the microwave and use only the air fryer for reheating (the quickest and most effective method) and set to 356°F for 4-5 minutes (if frozen cooked) or 8-10 minutes (if frozen raw).
Equally valid is the ventilated oven or the pan.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣 For a non-vegetarian version, you can prepare the burgers by replacing the broccoli with cauliflower, adding diced ham to the mixture; replace the provola with another cheese of your choice, pizza mozzarella will also work, or enhance the mixture with your choice of spices, such as turmeric, sweet or smoked paprika, etc.
🟣 If you prefer, you can cook the broccoli patties in a pan: heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan and place the burgers. Turn them over with a spatula from time to time until they are nicely browned. Also suitable for air fryer cooking.
🟣A little anti-waste trick: if after storage you notice that the burgers have lost too much consistency, you can crumble them and use them as “vegetable topping” to dress pasta or enrich a cereal salad (such as quinoa or emmer), creating a new zero-waste recipe.
🟣A little anti-waste trick: if after storage you notice that the burgers have lost too much consistency, you can crumble them and use them as “vegetable topping” to dress pasta or enrich a cereal salad (such as quinoa or emmer), creating a new zero-waste recipe.
