Happy 5th of July! I hope your 4th went swimmingly. Mine was majorly uneventful, which is just fine.

Bike rides, BBQ, beers, friends, doughnuts with patriotic sprinkles, and a dog that was not psyched on hours upon ours of fireworks. That sums it up well.

And in case you haven’t had enough BBQ or burgers, these chickpea burgers are pretty awesome. They hide delicious, healthy goodies like broccoli and carrot all up inside them, but you don’t notice since you’ve got equal parts cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce all up in your face. It’s glorious.

I blew it in the bun department again. I really don’t care for the buns they make in the bakery at New Seasons. I don’t know why, but they’re just too bready. Blasphemy, but I speak the truth. My quest for good buns shall continue. I really want to try these buns from Dave’s Killer Bread, but I hate buying a package of eight six considering we maybe use two at a time, and I don’t eat burgers that often. Don’t suggest I freeze them. Been there. Done that. Not a fan.

The burgers hold together well despite not having an egg in it. I flipped them in a skillet without a problem. I didn’t want to brave putting them on the grill, though. They’re still pretty soft. There is nothing worse than sacrificing food to the BBQ gods through the grate. It’s so sad.

Inspiration: Jessica @ How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

1/4 of a red onion

1/2 cup broccoli

1 medium carrot, chopped

15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese [I used a sharp white cheddar]

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce [Spicy Stubbs for me]

1 teaspoon honey

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Preparation

Toss the onion, carrot, and broccoli into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add everything else. Pulse until everything is minced and well combined. You want to be able to form the patties. Take a taste. Add any additional seasonings [I added more BBQ and onion powder]. Form into patties, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat a skillet on medium high and add a little bit of olive oil. Cook burgers 3-4 minutes on each side. They’ll be nice and crispy. Serve as you see fit–burgers, salads, wraps, plain. As long as they get in your mouth, you’ve succeeded.