Turkey and Chickpea Burgers

Yesterday, I made lots of new friends when I was "hanging out" on a Facebook Page. While we were waiting for something to happen, I mentioned I had just made our dinner - Turkey and Chickpea Burgers. It was something I could do in a moment and leave to cook on its own. After a number of requests for the recipe, I have quickly written it up here.

A few things to note: If you are gluten free, substitute a 1/3 cup of rolled oats and a bit more milk for the stale bread. If you are dairy free, you could substitute any liquid you fancy, perhaps even lime juice, beer or wine. These burgers are really a blank canvas that can be tailored to your families personal preferences. Try adding chive, cheese, middle eastern spices like cumin, tahini or dried fruit. Let your imagination take hold….

Turkey Chickpea burgers

1 400 gram can of chickpeas
1 lb / 500 grams of Ground Turkey Mince
1 small onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 grated carrot
1 stale piece of hearty bread, torn into small pieces
2 eggs
2 T milk
squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavour
diced parsley
crushed red peppers
lots of salt and pepper to taste

Start by crushing your chickpeas with a potato masher or giving them a quick whirl in the food processor. Keep them chunky to add texture to the burger. In a separate bowl combine the onions, garlic, carrot, bread (rolled oats), eggs and milk, allowing the bread to absorb the milk and soften. This will be your binding agent. Mix together the chickpeas, softened bread, diced parsley, crushed red peppers and salt/pepper until it loosely comes together. 

With a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop up the burger mix and push it down with the the tines of a fork. Turn it our onto a foil or parchment line baking sheet. It will be a bit loose, but will come together as it bakes. If it seems too loose, add more bread/oats. Bake at 180 C/ 375 F for 20 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through. Serve on a wholewheat roll with some salad and lots of nice condiments. Makes approximately 8 when using a 1/3 cup measure.

Special thanks to Libby Smith-Holmes who first made something like this when we visited her last summer.