A tasty and filling vegetarian burger made from a golden falafel patty layered with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, spinach, a homemade feta whip and sweet chilli sauce in a sesame bun. This flavoursome burger will not disappoint!
Look, I love a good hamburger as much as the next person. But every now and then I crave a little variety. If you're trying to reduce your meat intake, or you're cooking for a vegetarian loved one, I highly recommend my Falafel and Eggplant Burger. Bursting with big flavours, this burger is incredibly tasty and filling. An excellent addition to your fakeaway rotation.
Falafel is such a great vegetarian option. If you haven't already tried my Falafel Pita Pockets, I strongly recommend you give them a go too!
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Ingredient notes:
- Falafel: For convenience, I've used store-bought falafel in this recipe. Feel free to use homemade instead if you prefer!
- Eggplant: Eggplant goes so well with the Mediterranean flavours in this burger. If it's out-of-season or you simply don't like it, feel free to replace with any of your favourite cooked or raw veggies.
- Feta whip: Gosh this is good. This tangy whip is super flavoursome and goes so well with falafel whether in a burger, in a wrap or as a salad.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Slice the eggplant into 1cm rounds. Place on a lined baking tray then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then bake for 20 minutes.
Feta whip: Mix together all of the ingredients until well combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Falafel: Divide the falafel mixture into 4 equal portions. Roll into balls then shape into patties.
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook on each side for 3 minutes.
Assemble: Cut the buns in half, add the feta whip to the top and bottom of the buns. Layer up the falafel patty, tomato, spinach and eggplant. Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce, then place the bun on top and serve.
Recipe FAQs:
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish made primarily from ground chickpeas or fava beans, mixed with herbs, spices, and other ingredients. It is typically shaped into small patties or balls and then deep-fried, baked, or sometimes even pan-fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
I really love the combination of flavours in this burger. However, to mix things up you could add in or swap out the ingredients for cucumber, red onion, pickles, tahini sauce, hummus, tzatziki, hot sauce, avocado slices, roasted peppers, or any other toppings you enjoy.
A traditional burger bun is not gluten free, however, this could be substituted for a gluten free bun. Likewise, the store-bought falafel I used in this recipe does contain gluten, however, there are many gluten free falafel mixes available in New Zealand supermarkets including Turkish Kitchen and Orgran falafel.
Storage:
Store any leftover burger fillings in an airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat the falafel patties and eggplant then serve with fresh veg and burger buns.
Top tips:
If you're not in the mood for a burger, or you're eating low carb - leave the bun out! You can simply add all the ingredients to a bowl, increase the green leaves a bit and have a tasty salad.
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Falafel and Eggplant Burger
A vegetarian burger made from a falafel burger patty, grilled eggplant slices, a homemade feta whip, spinach, tomato and sweet chilli sauce in a sesame seed bun.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 400g falafel mix
- 2 Tbsp oil, additional
- 4 burger buns
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 30g baby spinach
- 4 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Feta whip
- 100g greek yoghurt
- 50g feta
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
- Handful mint, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake.
- Slice the eggplant into 1cm rounds. Place on a lined baking tray then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then bake for 20 minutes.
- Feta whip: Mix together all of the ingredients until well combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Falafel: Divide the falafel mixture into 4 equal portions. Roll into balls then shape into patties.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook on each side for 3 minutes.
- Assemble: Cut the buns in half, add the feta whip to the top and bottom of the buns. Layer up the falafel patty, tomato, spinach and eggplant. Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce, then place the bun on top and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 838Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 541mgCarbohydrates: 82gFiber: 10gSugar: 31gProtein: 15g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Macy Kavanagh says
Hi Vanya,
What can I replace the eggplant with and in the Feta Whip is there something can I replace the Greek Yoghurt and Feta with. Thanks
VJ cooks says
Replace the eggplant with any of your favourite raw or cooked vegetables. Swap the feta whip for hummus if you don't like feta and Greek yoghurt - they make up most of that sauce.