Looking for a delicious veggie burger with a kick? This chickpea and brown rice burger will hit the spot! Full of flavour these chickpea and brown rice burgers are an excellent protein filled meal…sans meat!
This post is sponsored by USA Rice. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep this blog up and running!
Have you watched the episode of How I Met Your Mother where the gang goes searching for the best burger in New York? Every time that episode pops up on Netflix for H and I, we always get this intense craving for a big greasy burger.
Of course the episode was playing in the background while I was working out the other day and if you’ve ever had a craving for a burger while working out, you know how intense it can get! However, instead of running out to the closest burger joint, I wanted something healthier. I’ve been trying to get more veggies in my (and H’s) diet recently (see how I tried to load up my smoothie with greens) so chatting with a (vegan) friend, I decided to make a meatless burger!
The base of this burger is super simple. It is made out of chickpeas and brown rice! Chickpeas are a great source of protein and brown rice is a source of B-vitamins, phosphorus and zinc, plus it contains fibre, magnesium, selenium and manganese.
The complex carbohydrate, providing long lasting energy from brown rice is perfect for H and I as we both participate in endurance sports.
So why did I chose Uncle Ben’s? Rice from Uncle Ben’s is US grown and offers a consistent high-quality thanks to the strict agricultural practices of U.S. farmers! Want to read more about US grown rice? Click here or visit their website riceinfo.com later for more!
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have any extra veggies on hand, you can make the burger with just the base itself. For myself, I added garlic, roasted sunflower seeds, jalapeños for that kick, carrots, and mushrooms into the patty.
Tip: remember that if you’re dealing with hot peppers, keep your hands covered! Little miss forgetful over here forgot and ended up having her left hand burning from the pepper oil for a couple of hours. Oops.
For this recipe, I used a food processor (Cuisinart 12-cup (3 L) Food Processor) but if you do not have one, you can whip out a potato masher and go to town on the chickpeas and brown rice! I also used a pot to cook the rice and a skillet.
- 1 cup of uncooked USA brown rice (For more info on their rice, visit riceinfo.com)
- 2 cans of chickpea, drained (1080mL/38 fl oz)
- 1 cup of sunflower seeds
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 2 jalapeno, diced
- 2 cups of mushrooms, diced and leave some whole aside for topping
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced or diced
- 1 head of lettuce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Buns
- Ketchup and mustard
- Cook 1 cup of brown rice.
- While it is still warm (important!), pour into the food processor alongside the chickpeas.
- Pulse until the chickpeas and rice are smooth and blended together.
- While the food processor is doing its job, on the skillet, toast your sunflower seeds and lightly cook your diced garlic.
- Pour into the chickpea and brown rice into a large bowl and mix in the sunflower seeds, garlic, carrots, and mushroom. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- After they are well mixed together, shape them into patties (you want them a bit smaller than the buns).
- Put the patties onto the skillet and let it cook on each side for 2-3 minutes each.
- Optional: toast the buns on the skillet too and serve with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, and onions. Top with ketchup and mustard.
QOTD: What is your go-to burger?
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Want another brown rice recipe? Check out this one by The Curious Creature!
Want to learn more? Connect with them via Twitter at @USARiceCAN or Instagram at @USARiceCan
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Email: carmy@carmyy.com
This post is sponsored by USA Rice. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep this blog up and running!
YUMMY! This looks delicious and such a fun spin on a veggie burger. Thanks for sharing! XOXO
WHOA BABY! Way to include Vegans on the BURGER bandwagon!
This sounds like a perfectly filling veggie burger!!! I love chickpeas so this burger will be on my “to-make” list for sure!
Wow, this looks like an awesome veggie burger! I love the addition of brown rice to it – I bet it helps everything stick together and makes it heartier.
I LOVE this recipe! So creative. I’d take this over a beef burger – that’s saying A LOT!
I looove this! Such a creative twist. I like my burgers with lots of toppings like pickles and portobello mushrooms!
I saw this on Instagram and was drolling, it looks amazing! Can’t wait to give them a try and I just restocked on chickpeas!
This looks like a great veggie burger! I love that you used just a few simple ingredients!
Yum! I love a good veggie burger and these look so easy to make! Plus BROWN rice and chickpeas!!
This looks absolutely delicious! Love a good veggie burger and love that there’s brown rice in here. I don’t find that often.
O yum! Love the seediness of the sunflower!
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