Greek Veggie Burgers and Cream Cheese Dip

These veggie burgers can be made with almost all vegetables you have in your fridge.

The only thing you have to be cautious about is to drain well the vegetables which have a lot of water content, such as the zucchini (courgettes) or the tomatoes.

I used  a Greek type of eggplants (aubergines) called "Tsakonikes" but any type of eggplants can be used.

When the eggplants were cheap I bought some from the farmers' market in Nafplion and after eating what we needed, I fried the remaining and stored four of them, in a zip lock bag, in the freezer.

This way they can be preserved for a very long time and  can be used in many recipes.  All you need to do is to thaw them.  However, in this case, it's not even necessary to thaw them as you can easily chop them while they are frozen.

Instead of making burgers, if you want them smaller you can make smaller fritters by shaping them or just dropping a spoonful of the mixture directly into the frying pan.

Can I avoid frying the eggplants?

If you prefer not to fry the eggplants, you can roast or bake them instead. Here's an alternative method:

Roasting/Baking Method:

• Preheat your oven to 200°CF (400°F).
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil.
• Place the eggplants cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until the eggplants are tender and the skin is slightly wrinkled.
• Allow the eggplants to cool and then finely chop them.

Alternatively, you can also bake them in your Air Fryer.

Using this method will reduce the amount of oil and still provide a delicious, tender texture for your Greek Veggie Burgers.

They can be served as an appetizer, a side dish or a main dish with a salad.

I served them with a Greek Salad, in which I added a different variety of small olives called Koroneiki, which are very delicious, different colours of bell peppers and coriander.

Instead of the usual feta, I added buffalo cheese, which is similar to feta but made with buffalo milk.

You can find the olives and buffalo cheese in the Mediterranean Diet Store, on 1 Sophocleous Street, Athens, Telephone  210 3234512.

Ingredients needed for the Greek Veggie Burgers

• Eggplants  
• Tomato
• Zucchini (courgettes)
• Salt (about ½ tsp)
• Carrots
• Bell peppers
• Green onions
• Roasted or raw garlic
• Dill
• Fresh mint
• Parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly grated black pepper
• Semolina
• All-purpose flour
• Feta
• Tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Eggs
• Olive oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplants lengthwise and fry on both sides.  Drain on kitchen paper and then cut them into smaller pieces.
2. Grate the zucchini (courgettes), put them in a colander and sprinkle with salt.  After ten minutes squeeze all the water out.
3. Finely chop the tomato and drain.
4. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and using your hand mix well.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before frying.  They can be left in the fridge for at least one day.
6. Heat the olive oil on high heat.  Form the vegetable burgers.  Fry on first side until golden and then turn them over.  Remove them on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

You can serve these Burgers as an appetizer with the Cream Cheese Dip, or as a side dish or as a main dish with a Greek Salad.  We had some leftovers and ate them the next day and they were even more delicious!

Cream cheese Dip for eggplant fritters

Preparation time:  5 minutes Ingredients:

• 100 ml Greek yoghurt
• 100 ml mayonnaise
• 200 ml cream cheese
• 2 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
• ½ cup cucumber, grated and water squeezed out
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

Salt ½ teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes (or add red sweet chili flakes)

Directions:

1. Put the first three ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until incorporated.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
3. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Other relevant recipes:

Ntomatokeftedes (Tomato Patties)

Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini / Courgette burgers)

Fakokeftedes (lentil burgers)

Keftedes (meatballs)

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,