Description
These Carrot & Sesame Burgers are a flavorful and nutritious vegetarian alternative to traditional burgers, combining grated and cooked carrots with chickpeas, tahini, cumin, and sesame seeds. Served with a tangy lemony sesame yogurt and fresh toppings like avocado, red onion, and rocket, they’re perfect for BBQs or quick weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 750g carrots, peeled and grated
- 410g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tahini paste, plus 1 tsp to serve
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tsp juice
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
For Serving
- 150ml pot natural yogurt
- 6 buns
- Rocket leaves
- Sliced red onion
- Sliced avocado
- Chilli sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the carrot and chickpea paste: Place one-third of the grated carrot, chickpeas, chopped onion, 2 tablespoons tahini, ground cumin, and egg into a food processor. Whizz until it forms a thick paste, then transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the remaining carrot: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the largest frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining grated carrot and cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until the carrot softens and starts to turn golden. Add the cooked carrot to the bowl with the paste.
- Combine all burger ingredients: To the bowl, add the wholemeal breadcrumbs, lemon zest, sesame seeds, and season with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, using your hands, ensuring the mixture is well combined.
- Shape the burgers: Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. With wet hands, shape each portion into a burger patty. Cover and chill the patties until ready to cook.
- Make the lemony sesame yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, mix the natural yogurt with the remaining 1 teaspoon of tahini and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Chill until serving.
- Cook the burgers: Preheat the barbecue or heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush the burgers with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook each burger for about 5 minutes per side, until golden and crisp on the outside.
- Prepare the buns: Warm or toast the burger buns on the barbecue or in a toaster until lightly golden.
- Assemble the burgers: Spread each bun base with a generous amount of the lemony sesame yogurt sauce. Layer with avocado slices, place the cooked burger on top, add sliced red onion and rocket leaves. Finish with a drizzle of chilli sauce and cover with the bun top.
Notes
- Using wet hands to shape the burgers helps prevent sticking and makes shaping easier.
- Cooked carrots add sweetness and moisture to the patties, helping them hold together.
- These burgers can be cooked on a barbecue, in a frying pan, or under a grill if preferred.
- For vegan variation, replace the egg with a flax egg or other binder, and use vegan yogurt.
- Serve immediately for best texture and flavor, but patties can be chilled for a few hours before cooking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Keywords: Carrot burgers, vegetarian burgers, sesame burgers, chickpea burgers, healthy burger recipe, meatless burgers
