I am through and through omnivore.  Meat, veggies, grains – I love it all!  And I try to make every meal a balance between all three.  But once a week I try to mix it up and go meatless with a delicious vegetarian meal.

Now if your main exposure to vegetarian food is what is on the vegetarian menu at a typical chain restaurant you might be tempted to think that tofu and portabella mushrooms are the only choices on a meatless night.  This is so not the case!  There are so many great vegetarian dishes out there for the tasting.

This weekend I made Chickpea Marsala Burgers.   As the name implies the main ingredient is chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), one of the most popular legumes in the world.    These little peas are not only delicious, they are packed with all kinds of great healthy nutrients like fiber, calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium.

1 can of chickpeas beans will make 4 hearty burgers, so this recipe is not only delicious but also super cheap to make!  And unlike the beef variety, you won’t get shrinkage when they cook.  If you have a big family (or just big eaters) you could make a double batch by doubling everything.

I have seasoned the burgers with a Garam Marsala spice blend which is available in the spice isle at more grocery stores or you could get fancy and pick up some from an Indian specialty grocery store.  Garam Marsala is a traditional Indian seasoning that adds a warm earthy flavor to the burgers.  If you can’t find it or just don’t care for it you could substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for the Garam Marsala and still have tasty burgers.

For serving the burgers you have options.  You can always serve them on hamburger buns with traditional fixings like lettuce and tomatoes.  Or you could go traditional Indian and try them with a side of plain yogurt and no bun as I did.  Either way they are sure to please even the most ardent carnivore in your family.  So give them a try and let me know what you think.

Chickpea Marsala Burgers

Prep time: 12 minutes – Cook time: 15 minutes – Makes: 4 burgers

• 3 slices of whole grain bread
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 3 pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, pealed
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 3 stalks flat leaf parsley
• 1 can (16 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 2 eggs

Place 3 slices of bread in the food process.  Pulse until you get bread crumbs.  Pour the bread crumbs into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Next place the onion quarters, carrot pieces and garlic in food processor and pulse untilshredded.

Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan and heat on medium high.  Add Garam Marsala and stir into oil.  Let the spices sizzle for 30 seconds and add shredded carrot and onion mixture.

Saute carrot and onion mixture for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat, stirring occasionally until onions starts to become translucent.

Pour the mixture into the bowl with the bread crumbs and give a quick stir.

Next add the drained chickpeas and parsley to the food processor.  Pulse until you achieve the texture of course meal.  Add the processed  chickpeas to the bowl with bread crumbs and carrot mixture.  Pour the flour over top.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl.  Scramble with a fork.  Pour the eggs into the bowl with the chickpeas and bread crumbs.

Place frying pan on medium heat.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan heat while you form the burgers.

With your hands mix all the ingredients (breadcrumbs, carrot, chickpeas etc) together until well blended.  Form the mixture into 4 burgers.  Add the burgers to the frying pan.

Cook burgers over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes for even cooking.

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