I must say that in winter, one of the seasonal vegetables I love the most and always enjoy eating is broccoli! Aside from their extremely healthy side that makes me like them even more, broccoli then offer many possibilities and ideas to be consumed in a thousand ways! Preparing them more often is therefore a valid support for our body’s health, as they are very rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and of course, as in all members of the cabbage family, antioxidants! However, if they are not much appreciated in the family and someone turns up their nose at consuming them, it’s because they haven’t yet eaten these burgers! These are vegetarian patties, simple, light, and really tasty! To make them even healthier and more nutritious, I chose to add chickpeas to the mixture, also foods with excellent nutritional properties. So, you will get a highly energetic and protein-rich second course that will easily allow you to replace meat and fish! Moreover, they are very easy to prepare: you just need to clean the broccoli, blanch the florets for a few minutes and work them with the other ingredients in the recipe until you obtain a firm and workable dough. I then used a pastry cutter to give them a rounder and more regular shape, but it will be sufficient to model them with your hands and slightly flatten them to achieve the same result! Try them in the oven or in a pan with a delicious cheese heart or even without if you prefer them simpler, but above all, test your children or anyone who usually disdains them, to discover just how good they are!!!
If you are a fan of alternative recipes to meat or fish, try these other interesting ideas:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 9 burgers of 3.1” Ø
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients:
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATION LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it will not cost you anything extra!
- 1.1 lbs broccoli
- 1/2 cup cooked, boiled chickpeas
- 1 egg
- 2.8 oz provolone (or scamorza)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools:
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Pastry Cutter
Steps:
To prepare the oven-baked chickpea and broccoli burgers, first clean the broccoli, reducing it into florets. Cut the stems into cubes 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 pot with plenty of salted water.
Drain the florets and stems with a slotted spoon, let them cool slightly, transferring them into a bowl, and lightly mash them with a potato masher.
Add the 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 ingredients are turned into a puree.
At this point, also add the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs and work with a spatula until you obtain a fairly homogeneous mixture.
With your hands, take portions of the mixture and lightly press the center to make room for the cheese.
Then, place 2-3 cubes of provolone in the center.
Cover with a little more mixture, seal with your hands and form your burgers.
Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or use a pastry cutter if you want to make regular burgers. Drizzle with a little oil on top and bake in a static oven at 392°F for about 25′, then turn them over and continue baking for another 5′ or until golden brown.
Serve them immediately while still warm.
And voilà… your chickpea and broccoli burgers are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Oven-baked chickpea and broccoli burgers can be stored in the refrigerator inside appropriate containers for 2-3 days, only if you have used all fresh ingredients. You can freeze them before or after cooking.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣 You can prepare the burgers by replacing the broccoli with cauliflower, add to the mixture diced ham for a non-vegetarian version; replace the provolone with another cheese of your choice, mozzarella for pizza will work too, or enrich the mixture with your favorite 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 with a spatula from time to time until they are well browned. Also suitable for air fryer cooking.
🟣 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 with a spatula from time to time until they are well browned. Also suitable for air fryer cooking.
