chickpea wild rice burger

Quite a while ago I ate an amazing wild rice burger from The Local in Minneapolis. Holy yum. The instant I got home I emailed the manager to see if they would share their recipe - and of course the answer was no, however he did invite me back to the pub for a free beer. Customer service win.



I think I tried to recreate that burger a few months after my visit, but I can't remember. I had the Local's burger in mind when I created this version, but I kind of just took the idea of combining wild rice + chickpeas and then headed in my own direction.  I'll have to stop by the Local next time I am in MN to refresh my memory on the taste...but until then - here's a tasty burger that got pretty good reviews in the PS household.

Curry Chickpea Wild Rice Burgers



In the mix::

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup wild rice
• 3 cups veggie stock
• 1/2 medium onion - roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 T coconut oil
• 2 t curry
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T flax seed (optional)
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 cups chickpeas - cooked
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In a medium pot, add both rices and veggie stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover until cooked, about 50 minutes. (I did this the day before).

Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, just to take the bite off. Add to a bowl of a food processor.

Add curry, salt, flax seed, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, 1.5 cups of chickpeas, and 1 cup of the cooked rice. Process until fairly smooth.  Add another cup rice and 1/2 cup more chickpeas, pulse until just combined. Stir in sunflower seeds.

We stored this mix in the fridge for a few days and just made up some patties when we felt like it. We've cooked it on the stove, but figured out that is works best to cook them in a 350* oven for about 10 minutes on each side. Be careful when you flip them as they are soft and fragile. (Not sure how to fix that problem....suggestions?)



If we were feeling lazy, we would just pile some of the mixture onto a piece of bread and cook everything in the oven for 15-20 minutes - also very tasty and easy!



My favorite way to eat the burger: 1 piece of toast smeared with tomato paste, topped with spinach, tomatoes, some raw onion and a side serving of roasted brussel sprouts.