Herbed Chickpea Burgers with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

Steps

1. Prepare first: pat the chickpeas dry, chop the parsley, mince the garlic, slice the tomato and red onion, and separate the romaine leaves.
2. In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with some chunky pieces.
3. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon zest, salt and black pepper to the chickpeas and mix until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
4. Shape the chickpea mixture into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick and chill them on a plate for 15 minutes to firm up.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: whisk the tahini, Greek yogurt, lemon juice and water in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.
6. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook 5 minutes until deeply golden and crisp underneath.
7. Drizzle the remaining half of the olive oil around the patties, flip them, and cook 4 to 5 minutes more until golden and heated through to 160°F (71°C) in the center, since they contain egg.
8. Toast the whole-wheat bread slices in a dry pan or toaster to use as buns, 2 slices per burger.
9. Build each burger: a slice of toast, romaine, a chickpea patty, a spoonful of tahini sauce, tomato slices, red onion rings, and a second slice of toast on top. Serve right away.