These burgers are a revelation – delicious, healthy, good for you, low in fat,  quick and easy to make. They also keep you feeling fuller for longer because chickpeas are full of protein and fibre and as if that wasn’t enough they also contain exceptional levels of iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. The burgers take only minutes to make so they are the ultimate healthy ‘fast food’.  Now as a rule, I don’t make New Year resolutions (because I find that January is hard enough to get through anyway without making it harder) however one thing I want to do this year is eat less meat and have one meat-free day each week, mainly for health reasons. Then I came across this article  “The planet’s dangerous appetite for meat” which highlights the importance of reducing the amount of meat we eat, particularly beef, in order to reduce the huge amounts of methane produced by the animals which in turn results in potent greenhouse gas emissions. So eating more vegetables is not just about taking care of our health it is also about doing our bit for the climate and the environment.

This particular recipe came about as a result of a suggestion from one of my friends, Liz in my weekly Spanish class. Liz is a vegan and suggested I post a vegan recipe in January to coincide with the Veganuary campaign which tries to encourage people to go vegan during the month of January.

So if you are a regular carnivore like me please give this recipe a try. I guarantee, you will be pleasantly surprised plus your body and the planet will thank you. The recipe is adapted from a recipe of Jamie Olivers’.

Serves 4 
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling time and cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
1 x  340g tin of sweetcorn, drained
Packet of fresh coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 heaped tablespoons of plain flour
Rapeseed / olive oil
Sea salt

Method

• Place the chickpeas and the sweetcorn into a food processor.
• Pick the coriander leaves and add half to the processor along with the stalks.
• Add the spices, lemon zest, flour and a pinch of salt, then pulse until combined, but not smooth as you want to retain a bit of texture.
• On a flour-dusted surface, divide and shape the mixture into four equally sized burgers (roughly 2cm thick.) (This is a bit of a messy job as the mixture is very soft and it helps if you dampen and flour your hands beforehand.)
• Put the burgers on a tray and into the fridge for about 30 mins to firm up
• Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for around 10 minutes, or until they are a nice golden colour, turning halfway.
• Serve with some diced tomato, red onion*, avocado and green salad in toasted pitta bread, in a wholemeal “burger bun” or just on it’s own. If you are not vegan then some natural yoghurt is nice with it too.

*When using raw red onion, in order to reduce its harshness and aftertaste I like to slice it and then put the slices in some boiling water for about 5 mins, then dry in some kitchen paper.