This vegan recipe is not intended to imitate meat or substitute for our beloved spoon dishes. They are simply a simple proposal to give more variety to our meals and dinners, with a snack that is also very rich in good quality vegetable proteins. We can baptize them as mini burgers because of its shape, although we prefer the term chickpea medallions since the idea is to serve them without all the hamburger assembly.
The author of the original recipe uses raw chickpeas soaked long enough so that they do not have to be cooked, and leaving a firmer texture. But we have tried it with pot chickpeas and they look great, you just have to dry them thoroughly and perhaps adjust the amount of ground almonds so that the dough is not too wet.
The flaked brewer’s yeast (or nutritional yeast) is optional but provides good nutrients and a lot of flavor, reminiscent of Parmesan cheese. You can add other herbs or spices and use the mushrooms you prefer, with mushrooms being the most recommended for price and versatility.
We have cooked half in the pan and the rest in the oven; With the second method, you save oil and prevent them from falling apart when you turn them over, although they are richer on the grill. You can always pre-cook them in the oven first and brown them back and forth in the pan before serving, to make them more flavorful and crisp on the outside.
Raw chickpeas soaked for 12-24 hours can be used; if they are tender and fresh, they can already be pierced with a knife even if they are not cooked. Alternatively, use chickpeas already cooked, well drained, rinsed and perfectly dry.
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Wash, dry and chop the mushrooms. Sauté the onion with a little oil and salt in a frying pan, until it’s transparent. Add thyme and oregano to taste, add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté the mixture until the mushrooms are cooked and the water they release has evaporated.
Arrange the vegetables cooked with the chickpeas, nutritional yeast (beer), ground almonds and a little salt and pepper in a food processor, blender or food processor. Blend in several batches until you have a homogeneous mass, to which some lumps may remain to give more texture.
If it is very wet, mix with a little more ground almonds. Cover and leave refrigerate about 30 minutes. Form 5-6 units with your hands lightly greased with oil. When cooking them, they can be done in the pan with oil or in the oven, at about 200ºC with heat up and down, until they are golden brown.
With what to accompany the chickpea and mushroom medallions
We can simply crown them with products that add color, flavor and textures, such as avocado, sprouts, radishes, tomato, pickles, vegan, etc. We can also accompany them with a green leafy salad or something more substantial such as roasted potatoes, quinoa or a vegetable garnish.
We could serve these vegan medallions as hamburgers with their small buns, sauces and usual accompaniments, although we prefer their texture and flavor at home. make them the star off the plate without excess paraphernalia. If you want a good legume burger, this other veggie burger recipe is perfect.
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