Zucchini-Chickpea Burgers

If I’m being perfectly honest, this recipe was never intended to be a blog post. It was intended to use up an aging zucchini in the fridge, which is made a little tougher to do by virtue of my partner’s…lack of enthusiasm for zucchini. (Shout out to everyone at Hungry Harvest for continuing to make fresh vegetables accessible for us even as we follow stay at home orders. We are so grateful for you!) But when I shared a photo of our dinner via an Instagram story, I got SO MANY requests for the recipe. Who am I to deny the people what their pantries want? (Seriously, except for a couple of pretty optional/interchangeable veggies, this recipe is your pantry’s dream.)

So, here we are. What a weird, scary time to be alive. But since there are plenty of people writing far more eloquently about this than I, I’m just gonna focus on food in this little corner of the internet. Food, with which we nourish ourselves and others, which can serve as a creative outlet some days, and an obligation others. So much has changed these days, but we still need to eat. If you’re able, I bet there are resources for food insecure folks local to you that would much appreciate your support. And for what it’s worth, on the days when cooking is just not gonna happen, if your area is like mine there are plenty of restaurants open for delivery/takeout that need your business! Date night, we have concluded in this house, is much more fun at home anyway.

Especially right now, I find myself waffling between wanting to do big, challenging projects (hello, my extremely failed first attempt at making mozzarella), and just wanting something comforting and easy. This recipe definitely hews closer to the latter– stir a bunch of stuff together, form it into patties and cook for a few minutes, top with whatever your heart desires (or your fridge contains), and you’re set. It’s like a hug– specifically, a hug from a parent, because it’s comforting but still involves some sneaky vegetables. And it’s pretty riffable, which things need to be right now! Don’t have zucchini? Sub in carrots, beets, sweet potatoes– really any veggie that will bring some moisture to the party will do. And same goes for the beans– chickpeas are what I happen to have in abundance, but any bean works. Don’t have ricotta? Use another cheese! Out of onions or pickles? That’s just fine, you don’t need ’em, but if you’ve got other favorite sharp/acidic accoutrements, this is the moment for them. And English muffins, though I will say they turned out to be quite nice, were chosen as the vessel for these purely because they’re the only bun-ish thing in the house right now. You do you, sweet peas.

Zucchini-Chickpea Burgers  (makes 8)

• 1 large Zucchini, shredded
• 2 cans Chickpeas, drained
• 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped
• 2 Eggs, whisked to combine
• 1/3 c. Flour, plus more as needed
• 3/4 c. Panko or other breadcrumbs, plus more as needed
• 1 T. Smoky Paprika, plus more to taste (this is my way of saying I used at least twice this much, because smoky paprika is my favorite spice)
• 1 T. Garlic Powder, plus more to taste
• 1 t. Cumin
• 1 T. plus 1 t. Salt, plus more for zucchini
• 1 Large Cucumber, thinly sliced
• 3/4 c. Vinegar (I use rice vinegar, but white or apple cider would also be fine)
• Scant 1 T. Sugar
• 1 c. Ricotta
• 3 T. Neutral Oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 Red Onion, sliced
• ~3 Avocados, sliced
• 8 English Muffins, toasted

Place shredded zucchini in a colander and toss with a big pinch of salt; set aside to drain while prepping other ingredients. Mash chickpeas in a medium bowl (I use a potato masher for this, but you could also use a food processor or a fork) until mostly smooth, but some chunks remain. Add jalapeño, eggs, flour, Panko, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and 1 t. salt to bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as you can with your hands, then place it in a tea towel to squeeze out even more. Add zucchini to bowl and stir all ingredients just until mixed. If mixture seems too wet, add more flour and/or panko in small amounts until it feels like it will hold its shape. Taste and adjust seasonings. (If you worry about eating the mixture because of raw egg, cook a small spoonful in a nonstick pan to test for seasoning.) Place in fridge to chill while you prep toppings.

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, remaining T. salt, sugar, and 3/4 c. water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring to ensure salt and sugar have dissolved. Place cucumber in a heatproof vessel and pour vinegar mixture over top; set aside to pickle. In a food processor or with a hand mixer, whip ricotta for several minutes until smooth, light, and fluffy; set aside.

When ready to cook, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Form zucchini-chickpea mixture into 8 patties and cook first 4 patties until golden brown (a few minutes per side). Repeat with remaining patties, adding a few more T. oil if needed. (I keep the first batch warm on a wire rack in the oven, set to its lowest temperature).

Assembly: Swipe top and bottom of toasted English muffin with whipped ricotta, then fill with the patty, sliced onion, pickled cucumbers, and avocado. It doesn’t really need ketchup (really!), but that’s a non-started in this house, so squeeze some ketchup in there where you can (or dip it on the plate).

If I got my zucchini-hating, chickpea-loathing partner to eat this with so much enthusiasm that he was genuinely sad not to have room for thirds, I feel fairly confident in saying this will win over anybody to whom you give it. Now, I just have to conquer eggplant! (Well, eggplant aside from eggplant parmesan, which is for some cheesy saucy fried reason, perfectly acceptable.)