Beet Chickpea Cakes

These beet chickpea cakes are earthy, filling, and beautifully wholesome. Serve them with coconut yogurt and fresh dill for a delightful meal.

Course Lunch

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 489

Author Timothy Pakron

Ingredients

Beet Chickpea Cakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
3 ¼ cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
2 medium red onions finely diced
8 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
2 medium red beets grated on the largest holes of a box grater (about 4 cups grated)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¾ cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
Tzatziki or thick plain coconut yogurt to serve

Tzatziki

1 large Middle Eastern or English cucumber
1 ½ cups thick plain coconut yogurt (Culina or Cocojune)
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
2 garlic cloves minced or grated on a Microplane
¾ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
Few cracks black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the oven and baking sheet: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly brush the parchment with olive oil. Set aside.
Mash the chickpeas: Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and crush with a potato masher; set aside. (Don’t mash the chickpeas completely. The mixture should be somewhat chunky. That said, these mashed chickpeas will help to hold the cakes together. If the cakes are not holding when shaping, you may need to mash the chickpeas a bit more until they do. It is okay to continue to mash them once the mixture is combined.)
Sauté the vegetables: Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until just starting to brown (about 5-10 minutes) and they become very soft. Add the garlic and salt and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the grated beets and continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the beets are cooked. (Note: It is important to cook the beets long enough that they are soft and tender or the cakes will not hold together when shaped. Give it a taste after 8 minutes and if they are not soft, continue to cook.) Add the balsamic vinegar and remove from heat.
Combine and shape the cakes: Add the onion-beet mixture to the mashed chickpeas along with the chopped dill, and mix well to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Use an oiled ⅓-cup measure to shape the mixture into cakes, squeezing firmly as you form them.
Bake the cakes: Place on the prepared sheet pan and brush the top and sides of each cake with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the tray, and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until brown on the bottom. Remove from the oven; allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Make the tzatziki: If serving with tzatziki, prepare it while the cakes bake. First grate the cucumber on the largest holes of a box grater, then place the grated cucumber in a strainer and squeeze out the juice with your hands. Add the drained cucumber to a medium bowl along with the yogurt, dill, garlic, salt, olive oil, and black pepper. Stir to combine and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Serve: Slide a thin spatula under each cake and flip onto a plate so the bottom side is up. Serve with the tzatziki or coconut yogurt.

Notes

When shopping for the red onions, make sure they are on the smaller size. If there is too much onion, it could prevent the mixture from binding.

It’s not mandatory, but I like to peel the beets before grating. You could also make this recipe with golden beets if you’d like. (They’re less messy to work with than red beets and a bit sweeter.)

You could also make larger chickpea cakes (think burger-sized). Simply take extra care to press them together when forming and keep an eye on them while baking, adding a few extra minutes if needed.

For the tzatziki, if you’re using a typical garden cucumber rather than either of the varieties listed, I recommend peeling it first, cutting in half lengthwise, and removing the seeds with a spoon before grating. (You can also drink the juice you squeeze from the cucumbers!)

Store any leftovers of the tzatziki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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