Tangy, Crunchy Beans- and- Greens Burgers for Your Next Meatless Summer Dinner

I rarely make veggie burgers in an attempt to replicate meat. Instead, I like to highlight a vegetable! These beans- and- greens burgers use Swiss chard in two ways. You’ll incorporate the greens into the patties and quick-pickle the stems to create a tangy, crunchy, and colorful topping. The burgers turn out best if you chill them overnight in the fridge before you cook them. Feel free to make the pickled chard stems and the yogurt sauce in advance as well.

White Bean Swiss Chard Burgers

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and set aside
• 3 cups cooked butter beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ medium yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (⅓ cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Avocado oil, for the pan
• 6 hamburger buns

Pickled Chard Stems

• Stems from 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped (1¼ cups)
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Lemon Dill Yogurt

• ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or ¼ teaspoon dried
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Desired fixings: sunflower sprouts, lettuce, avocado, sliced cucumbers, etc.

Image: Eva Kolenko

Directions

1. Roughly chop the chard leaves, place in a steamer basket, and set over a pot filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 1 minute, or until the leaves are wilted. When cool to the touch, squeeze the excess water out of the leaves and chop finely.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chard with the beans, onion, garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, dill, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Use a potato masher to mash until the mixture holds together but still has some visible bean chunks. Add the egg and fold until combined. Then, fold in the panko. The mixture should be cohesive and a little wet.
3. Form the mixture into 6 patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
4. Make the pickled chard stems: In a lidded jar, combine the chard stems, onion, lemon juice, and salt. Shake to combine and chill until ready to use.
5. Make the lemon dill yogurt: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Chill until ready to use.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom with oil and cook the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned, working in batches and reducing the heat to low as needed. Transfer the burgers to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. If desired, warm the buns in the oven during the last few minutes of cook time.
8. Assemble the burgers on the buns with the yogurt sauce, pickled chard stems, and desired fixings.

Excerpted from Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food  by Jeanine Donofrio. Copyright © 2023 Jeanine Donofrio. Photographs © 2023 by Eva Kolenko . Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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