Falafel Burger w/ Feta Tzatziki Sauce

I came across this recipe from Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice . I personally LOVE falafels. If I could eat them every day, I would. It's not like I grew up on this stuff either. I bet if I went to my parents house and made them falafels... 1) my father would refuse to eat it, saying that he doesn't eat anything he can't pronounce, and would make a burger instead 2) my niece would laugh and make fun of not only the name but the look of the falafel as well 3) my sister would look for help from my mom in hopes that our mother can save her from eating it 4) lastly, my dear mother would shrug her shoulders and take a bite. (she's always tried every thing I've made) You see we were a meat and potatoes family. (they still are) If it didn't moo, cluck or snort at some point in time it wasn't on the table. So of course every time I go home for a visit and tell my family that I'll make dinner for them, they tend to be a little nervous. After all, I was the one who left home eating Chef Boyardee out of the can and came home making tofu fried rice.

There wasn't one thing that I changed about this recipe but in true Kristin fashion, I cooked my own chickpeas instead of using ones from a can. The recipe is really simple to make and you can make it a day ahead of time and just store the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the burgers.

feta tzatziki sauce:

• 3/4 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small
• 1/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 tsp dried or fresh dill
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

burgers:

• 2/3 c. red onion, chopped
• 1/3 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
• olive oil, for pan-frying

for serving:

• pitas or soft buns
• spinach or romaine lettuce
• sliced tomatoes 

1. In a medium bowl combine all tzatziki ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
2. To make the burgers add 1/3 cup onion, parsley, lemon, cumin, coriander, salt, chickpeas and garlic to the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until well combined and chickpeas are mostly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add the beans to a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/3 cup red onion and 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Put the remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Make 6 equal-sized 1/2-inch thick patties and dredge both sides in the bread crumbs.
3. Liberally cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook burgers in batches 3 at a time about 4 minutes each side until lightly golden brown. Serve tucked into pitas or on soft buns with feta tzatziki sauce, spinach leaves and tomatoes. Slice burgers in half before serving. 

Printable Recipe

This recipe is submitted in...
Foodie Friday