Parsley Hummus Burgers with Cucumber Avocado Dressing
Brent and I were asked to attend a Super Bowl get together this past week, and as the annual tradition goes, I completely forgot the Super Bowl was even happening and didn’t have a clue who was playing in it. However, I’ll take any excuse to prepare a meal and get together with friends!
There is no shortage of healthy finger foods and share-able dish recipes that can easily be prepared for parties, and they’re so fun! For this particular event I took the easy route and brought hummus made from scratch, but I ended up making SO much extra hummus (I always forget how much chickpeas expand after soaking and cooking). I snacked on the hummus for a few days and then thought, what else could I do with all of this hummus?
Burgers. The answer was burgers.
This burger recipe is SO easy, extremely tasty, and absolutely packed with fiber and fresh herbs. It can be put on top of a salad OR eaten like a classic burger. I wanted something a bit lighter to go on top of it, so I created a cool avocado cucumber dressing that pairs perfectly with the spices of the hummus burger. Brent and I ate on these burgers for half a week - they’re fun, light, easy (you can make it with your kids!) and the oven does most of the work so you have time to spend with loved ones while they cook.
Food really is amazing. You can choose to eat food that is packed with nutrients that will fuel you with energy and enhance your brain power, microbiome integrity, digestive function, and help to prevent disease, and the food can taste AMAZING too! How wonderful is that? Not only does it fuel you, but it nurtures and fuels your relationships with family and friends in the time that you spend cooking together and gathering around a meal - getting to know each other better and creating memories.
Nutrition:
Chickpeas are an excellent source of dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and PROTEIN. We Americans are always wondering if we get enough protein in our diets, especially if someone eats plant-based. Most Americans far surpass the their daily need for protein, but the question of focus should be where are you getting you protein? The source of the protein matters, and there is difference in the way animal and plant protein will affect your gut microbiome, which will effect so many other things. Plant protein will increase the growth of anti-inflammatory gut microbiota, such as bifodobacterium and lactaobacillus, and suppresses the destructive ones (1). Animal protein increases the growth of inflammatory microbiota, and produces toxins like amines, sulfides, and bile salts, which have been associated with ulcerative colitis and other cancers in the body (1). This can result in intestinal permeability (basically, leaky gut and an upset stomach) (1). So instead of focusing as much on the grams of protein you are consuming, we should be looking at the source, and chickpeas are such an excellent source of plant-based protein. I believe a good balance of both is great, so increase your consumption of chickpeas to get some plant protein into your diet.
Whole oats are also high in fiber and also are found to reduce liver inflammation (2) and aid in weight loss due to their high fiber content. Oats are particularly high in the fiber beta-glucan, which helps to promote immunomodulation and further improve the integrity of the gut lining.
Parsley is an easy and cheap addition to these burgers that add flavor and a bright beautiful color! Fresh herbs are so fun, and parsley acts a metabolism booster while removing toxins and supporting liver function (2). Parsley is high in the phytonutrient apigenin, which has anti-diabetic effects by increasing insulin secretion and potential neuroprotective effects against the development of Alzheimer’s.
Cumin is one of my favorite spices! Originally, cumin was used medicinally to treat mild digestive disorders, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, morning sickness, colic, headache and bloating. Today, cumin has been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects, and can even increase the immune system by stimulating T cell production. In Ayruvedic medicine, CCF is a common acronym, which stands for cumin, coriander, and fennel, and is a trio that grounds and nourishes the body.
Ingredients:
For the hummus burgers:
1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup hummus
When choosing your hummus, try to choose hummus that is USDA organic and doesn’t include other oils besides olive or avocado oil, natural flavors, excess salt, sugar, or other additives that you cannot pronounce. I really love Hope hummus, and if you’re looking for hummus that doesn’t have beans, Lilly’s checks all of the boxes and tastes amazing.
1 cup gluten free whole oats (I love Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 very finely chopped red onion
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup water
For the cucumber avocado dressing:
1 whole ripe avocado
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 diced cucumber
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
For the salad or burger (get creative!):
Avocado
Mixed Greens
Nuts/veggies
Tomatoes sliced
Onions sliced
Gluten free bun/bread (I love Food4Life because their ingredients are whole and clean)
Recipe:
Yields: 12 burgers
Time to make: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Preheat oven to 400*F. Measure and set out all of your ingredients; this makes it a lot easier to get things done quickly in the kitchen!
Mash the chickpeas in a large bowl until they are half whole/half mashed.
Mix in the hummus, oats, red onion, parsley, almond flour, spices, oil, and water with a fork until mixed well.
After you mix it well, use your hands to really mash them together. You can add more oil or water if they are too dry, or more almond flour if they are too wet. Roll into balls and then form 4 inch burger patties. Make sure they are round, compact and even!
Bake on parchment paper for 30 minutes, then flip and bake another 30 minutes.
While these cook, add all dressing ingredients into the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Prepare and chop ingredients for your burger!
Take the burgers out of the oven and stack your burger, drizzling the dressing all over it (I like it super messy). You can enjoy these fresh or keep them as leftovers for up the 3 days.
I had such a fun time creating this one, so please give me feedback and let me know how you like it!
XO, B
References:
1) BULSIEWICZ, W., 2022. FIBER FUELED. [S.l.]: AVERY PUB GROUP.
2) Greger M, Stone G. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. London: Pan Books; 2018.