Zucchini + Chickpea + Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions

For the Dijon aioli:

1/2 cup mayo {I used low fat}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Begin by cooking quinoa according to package directions {see how I cook my quiona here}. Place zucchini and chickpeas in food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Continue to pulse {or just leave the food processor on} until completely combined and smooth {the consistency should look like hummus}. Transfer to large bowl. Once quiona has finished cooking, remove from the heat and allow to cool, at least 20 minutes. Once cool, add the quinoa to the chickpea and zucchini mixture. Stir in the panko bread crumbs. With an ice cream scoop, form patties on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook for 10 minutes, flip the patties and then cook another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Dijon aioli: In a small bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, Dijon and whole grain mustards, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until burgers are ready. To assemble the burgers: turn broiler on and place burger buns under the broiler to toast, about 3 minutes. With a spoon, place 1 tablespoon of aioli on each side of the bun followed by the burger and fresh spinach, if desired. This recipe made six average size burgers.

I love experimenting with different veggies for veggie burgers. I’ve been on a real “zucchini kick” as of late (see here, here, here) and I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into a veggie burger {that didn’t include my regular black bean burgers}. I love the combination of the chickpeas with the zucchini and Dijon mustard, it was almost like eating a crab cake! And by adding quinoa, it gave the burgers a different texture and were also much more filling. What are your favorite kinds of veggies to add to veggie burgers? Let me know in the comments section of this post! 

p.s. We are only 2 days away from the giveaway closing! Make sure you “like” A Blonde’s Moment on Facebook, share the giveaway on your Facebook and leave me a comment here that you have done both. You don’t want to miss out on this free Essie nail polish giveaway!!