My week started with a trip to Zero Point Organics to check out the setup that produces some of the best microgreens in Houston!
I tasted about 20 different varieties of young sprouts. Some of the most interesting were the sage, chervil, radish (SPICY!!!), cabbage, and lemon balm micros. The ones that inspire this week’s burger are the micro leeks and micro fava!
Fava sprouts and fava beans taste quite different.
Cooked fava beans, also known as broad beans, tasted sweet and buttery. They reminded me of perfectly prepared mashed potatoes! The sprouts, on the other hand, were earthy and mildly bitter throughout their entire taste profile, with a soft hint of pungency towards the end. These flavors balanced really well to form the base of this week’s burger.
I love the pungent flavor of onions in my burgers, and this week the micro leeks did the job. The leek is in the allium family with garlic and onions, and micro leeks have an evenly pungent onion flavor that is not overpowering.
Greens and seasonings will make or break your falafel.
I constantly update my recipes until I am satisfied with them. Traditional falafel is packed with parsley, cilantro, and dill, which gives it the classic green color. I started this week’s falafel off with a blended pesto of sorts, made with the micro leeks and fava. This came out good, but I wanted more green balance. As the week went on, I added a rough chop of the micros, some Sustainable Vegetable Gardens red kale, and Armando’s cilantro and mint. This made my falafel look greener and taste more balanced.
My first seasoning profile included thyme, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne. I was craving more warmth and depth, so as I tested, I added smoked paprika and more cumin. This gave me sweet, smoky, and warming flavors that danced on my taste buds as I journeyed through this burger.
Toppings are so important!
I already messed with a classic falafel recipe enough, so I wanted to stick with some classic toppings I like with my falafel. I went with Verdegreens lettuce, onions, tomato, jalapeño, and a vegan yogurt-dill sauce.
Check out the recipe, make it your home, and make enough to share!
Fried Fava Falafel Burger
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked fava beans
- 1 cup microgreens or parsley, dill, or other greens you have
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 bunch mint
- 1 Meyer lemon
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp unrefined salt
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Toppings
- 4 burger buns or slider buns for fun!
- 1 head bibb lettuce
- 1 tomato
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt like Forager
- 1/2 tbsp fresh dill or same amount dried
Instructions
- Finely chop greens and herbs. Add to fava beans.
- Add zest and juice of lemon. Add seasonings to taste. Mix to combine.
- Add rice flour. Do not add all at once. Once falafel holds together well, you can stop adding rice flour. Add water or lemon juice if mixture is too dry.
- Add grapeseed oil to a pan at slightly less than half the height of your falafel. Heat the oil over medium heat to a temperature of 300-325ºF.
- Shape falafels into 1 inch balls, and smash to your favorite falafel shape.Add to hot oil, and fry on each side for about 3 minutes. They should be a light golden brown! Be careful flipping them!
Building Burgers
- Toast burger or slider buns.Mix yogurt, dill, and lemon juice to make sauce. Spread on top and bottom burger buns.
- Slice onions and tomato. Add toppings and 2-3 falafels to each burger. Enjoy!!!