Recipe Background
This Healthy Burger isn't missing meat, with grilled veggies and a zesty feta spread.
The first time I made this healthy burger, I was in the middle of packing boxes. It was the day of my move from a bustling city apartment to a quieter spot by the sea. Half my kitchen was already in transit, but I had stubbornly left out a few essentials, including a trusty food processor. Amidst the chaos, I wanted something easy yet memorable, so I reached for the feta I had stashed in the fridge, a constant favorite. Despite the jumble of boxes, I found solace in the smooth blend of feta and yogurt, reminding me that some things never change despite upheaval.
I had unexpected fun experimenting with this vegetarian take using eggplant and red peppers from the farmer’s market down the road. Grilling on my new patio made the transition all the more exciting. Watching those rounds of eggplant turn tender with a brush of olive oil felt like a small triumph amid the day's hustle. And the brightness of sumac in the cucumber ribbons? That was a revelation. It turned into a decadent burger, layered with distinct flavors, sans the heaviness of meat.
A couple of chef’s tips: always scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking, and let the cucumber ribbons rest in their lemony dressing for a few minutes before assembly. This burger made my first evening in the new place feel like a celebration despite being surrounded by cardboard walls. It’s amazing what a burst of grilled goodness can do to make any place feel like home.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- kosher salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 large English cucumber
- canola oil to taste, for greasing the grill grates
- 1 medium eggplant sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 1 large red pepper halved and seeded
- 4 hamburger buns split
Directions
- In a food processor, add the feta and the yogurt and cover the food processor.
- Purée the feta mixture until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Season the feta mixture with the salt and the black pepper. Set the feta mixture aside
- In a bowl, add the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the sumac, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Season the lemon dressing with the salt and the black pepper.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cucumber into ribbons.
- Add the cucumber ribbons to the lemon dressing and toss to combine. Set the dressed cucumber ribbons aside.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, setting it up for direct cooking.
- Clean the grill grates and use the canola oil to lightly grease the grill grates.
- Brush the eggplant rounds with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Season the eggplant rounds with the salt and the black pepper.
- Add the eggplant rounds to the hot grill and cook, while turning them occasionally, until they are tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the red pepper halves to the hot grill and cook, while turning often, until charred, about 5-6 minutes.
- Transfer the red pepper halves to a cutting board and cut them into wide strips.
- Add the buns, cut-side down, to the hot grill and toast them, about 1 minute.
- Spread the feta mixture evenly over the toasted sides of the buns.
- Top the buns evenly with the grilled red peppers, the grilled eggplant rounds, and the dressed cucumber ribbons.
- Close the sandwiches and serve.
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