Summer is finally here! One of our favorite parts of summer is spending time with family and friends while indulging in delicious seasonal foods you can find at your local farmers’ market.
This recipe offers a tasty alternative to the classic hamburgers, hotdogs, and brats usually served when grilling out with your favorite people. This recipe is a Mediterranean twist on the classic veggie burger that adds a zing with a homemade cucumber salad and tzatziki sauce.
Sounds good? We thought so too! Try out this Mediterranean Gyro Bean Burger and add it to the menu for your next outdoor feast.
Ingredients
For the Burgers:
- 4 1/2 cups Randall Great Northern Beans
- ½ cup packed chopped parsley leaves
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 Lemon – juiced
- 2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes (jar in oil)
- 1 Tbsp roasted garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3.5 oz crispy onions
- 1 Tbsp Italian breadcrumbs (optional)
- Pita bread
For Cucumber Salad:
- 1 and ¾ large English cucumbers
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- 2 Cups Greek yogurt (or non-dairy substitute)
- 1 Lemon – juiced
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp ground coriander seed
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- ¼ Large English cucumber
Instructions
For the Burgers:
- Drain and rinse both jars of Randall Great Northern beans. Using a large food processor (or mashing by hand with a potato masher), pulse for about 15 seconds or until beans are mostly indistinguishable, but not pureed. Remove from the food processor and set aside in a large bowl.
- Coarsely chop spinach and parsley and put them into a food processor. Add the juice of one lemon, two Tbsp sundried tomatoes, and a heaping Tbsp of minced roasted garlic. Pulse until combined, about 10 seconds.
- Add the spinach and parsley mix into the bowl of bean mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix them together, noting that the consistency will be fairly wet and loose.
- Using your hands or a clean food processor, crush a bag of dried onions. Add to bean and spinach mixture and combine. If the mixture is still too wet to hold together, add a Tbsp of Italian breadcrumbs (or gluten-free substitute) one at a time until proper consistency is formed.
- On a cookie sheet, use bean and spinach mixture to make patties less than an inch thick. Note that patties will not shrink while cooking.
- Chill for 30 minutes or until ready to cook.
- When ready to cook, place a large, non-stick sauté pan with a Tbsp of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. You can also cook on an outdoor grill, using aluminum foil under each patty to prevent sticking.
- Place patties in the pan, making sure they are not overcrowded. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side or until a crust is formed.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. This will drain the excess oil absorbed during cooking.
For the Cucumber Salad:
- Thinly slice one and ¾ of the English Cucumbers.
- Combine cucumber slices with two Tbsp red wine vinegar and one Tbsp of olive oil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, along with two Tbsp fresh dill. Set aside.
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- In a clean food processor, add two cups of Greek yogurt, juice of one lemon, one Tbsp fresh dill, and ½ tsp each of cumin, dried thyme, ground coriander seed, and a dash or two of cayenne pepper. Add ¼ of an English cucumber.
- Pulse until well blended.
- Pour into a small jar with a lid and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Assemble
- Warm Pita bread in the microwave or toaster.
- Assemble burger in the Pita, topping with cucumber salad
- Drizzle with Tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
