Vegan Pizza Burger

Recipe Source: Michelle Cehn

Ingredients:

• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic (1½ Tbsp), minced
• 4 Tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil, plus more as needed
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup Vegan Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 2 tsp Italian seasonings (or 1 tsp each dried basil and oregano)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup vegan friendly bread crumbs, plus more for coating
• 3 Tbsp marinara sauce (or pizza sauce), plus more for topping (see note)
• ¼ tsp each sea salt and black pepper
• 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
• 4 ciabatta buns, toasted
• Fresh parsley
• Red onion

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté shallots and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the cooked garlic and shallot directly to a medium bowl. Add the chickpeas and use a fork or pastry cutter to mash/mix. The mixture should be dough– like with only a few whole beans remaining.
3. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, the Vegan Parmesan, Italian seasonings parsley, bread crumbs, marinara, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. A moldable “dough” should form. Add more olive oil if it’s too dry, or more bread crumbs or Vegan Parmesan if too wet. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
4. Heat the same skillet used earlier over medium heat.
5. Divide the mixture into 4 even patties. To help form them, line a 1/2-cup measuring cup with plastic wrap and scoop out 1/2 cup amounts. Press to pack, then lift them out and slightly flatten. Then with your hands. Alternatively, form into 1–inch-thick patties with your hands.
6. Gently coat the burgers with additional bread crumbs and Vegan Parmesan cheese on both sides for more flavor and texture (optional). Handle gently as they can be fragile.
7. Add enough oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of hot skillet (~1 Tbsp or 30ml), then add the coated burgers. Brown for about 5 minutes on each side, reducing the heat if the burgers get too brown.
8. Serve the burgers as is, or pop them on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree F oven for an additional 10–20 minutes to dry/ crisp them up.
9. In the meantime, warm 1 cup marinara sauce, toast the ciabatta buns, and prep the parsley and onion.
10. To serve, lay down parsley on the bottom half of a bun, top with a burger, onion, marinara sauce, and additional Vegan Parmesan.
11. Leftover burgers will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.