This week's sandwich is another burger, but this one features a homemade patty. I was in the mood for something Greek or Mediterranean and something with olives and sun-dried tomatoes. And speaking of air fryers, you can pan fry these or air fry them.
This version of Mediterranean Burger (as I am sure there are quite a few!) features a tzaziki type of sauce, meaning it is yogurt and cucumber based.
The patty is made with white beans, kalamata olives, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and oregano. It features a lot of those familiar flavors from the region. It's actually a simple burger to put together.
The binding is dried bread crumbs and I was pushing the envelope in this case because I wanted to see how much is too much crumbs. It turns out the limit lies between a half cup and three-quarters cup, depending on the moisture of your beans. If you add too much the burger goes from being too soft to being so dry that it crumbles.
The burger has some delightful pops of flavor because of the minced sun-dried tomatoes and olives and it gets a hefty kick because of the garlic in the sauce. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Burger
Makes 4 burgers
Tzaziki Sauce:
1/2 cup shredded cucumbers
1/2 cup vegan unsweetened yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper
Patty:
1 3/4 cups cannellini beans
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup kalamata olives
4 halves sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (not panko)
Other:
4 burger buns, toasted
Sliced tomatoes
Slices red onions
Baby spinach
1. Sauce: Squeeze the moisture from the shredded cucumber using your hands. Combine the cucumber, yogurt, tahini, herb, lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste, a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Patty: Add the beans, garlic, parsley, olives, tomatoes, oregano and salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until only a few beans are left discernible. Remove to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs. Set aside for 5 minutes and check if you need to add more crumbs. Don’t add more than a few tablespoons more. Season to taste. Form the mixture into 4 patties that fit your bun and air fry or pan fry.
3. Assemble the burgers: bottom bun, spinach, onion, tomato, burger, sauce and top bun. Serve immediately.
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