Wild-Rice-Pecan-Burger-Creamy-Sunflower-Chive-Spread-10-rsz-990671

Pecan Main Dishes

Wild Rice Pecan Burgers

Submitted by:

American Pecan Council | Jessie Snyder, Faring Well

30 minutes

This veggie burger is chock full of wholesome ingredients. This plant-based version is made with pecans, wild rice and chickpeas and then topped with a creamy sunflower chive spread and toppings that will satisfy your burger cravings.

Ingredients

For the Wild Rice Pecan Burgers
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 1/2 cups chickpeas
1 cup raw pecan halves
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
3 minced (or pressed) garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
5 to 6 cranks of fresh black pepper
5 to 6 cranks of fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon low sodium tamari
For the Creamy Sunflower Chive Spread (optional)
3/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
3/4 cup filtered water
Burger Toppings:
Sliced avocado
Alfalfa sprouts
Thinly sliced red onion
Whole grain buns

Instructions

Ahead of time: cook wild rice and soak sunflower seeds in water for at least 4 hours (can soak longer in a jar in the fridge, ie. several days).
Make the veggie burgers: combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 6 or 7 times. Then stop and scrape down the sides and give it a stir. Pulse another 4 to 5 times or until it holds together, but there are still bits and pieces left whole to give it texture.
Heat a ceramic nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. If using a traditional skillet, add a little oil to keep the burgers from sticking.
Form 8 equally sized balls from the mixture and shape into patties about an inch thick. Place in the heated pan, and do not touch for 10 minutes. Check and make sure they have browned well before carefully flipping and cooking an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side too. Transfer to a plate for serving.
While the veggie burgers cook, make the spread: Rinse and drain the soaked sunflower seeds and add to a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients. Puree until smooth, then taste for seasoning. (Make adjustments with salt and lemon juice if needed.)
To build the burgers: Spread each bun half with the creamy sunflower chive spread and layer with a patty, sliced avocado, red onion, and sprouts, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes 8 small burgers or 4 large burgers. Leftover cooked patties store well in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.