Fresh produce is booming this time of year. Gardens are filled with vegetables, herbs and flowers. My current obsession is seasoning my meals with fresh herbs from my garden, which led me to get a little crazy creative with my burger toppings.
Since it is summertime what better reason do I have than to top my burgers with fresh, garden grown vegetables?
What I love about this green goddess garden burger is the variety of fresh and healthy ingredients. It calls for chives, basil, tomatoes, avocado, and sprouts. If you don't have all of those herbs and vegetables, you can use whatever you have growing in your garden. Some awesome garden burger additions would be bell peppers and grilled red onion slices.
The shining star out of all the toppings for this garden burger is the green goddess dressing. It is creamy, light, and bursting with flavor. It is the perfect alternative or addition to topping the burger with a slice of cheese.
After all, what is a burger without cheese?
Green Goddess Garden Burger
Recipe by Food Network
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large scallion, sliced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
8 slices of bacon, cooked to your liking
Alfalfa sprouts for topping
4 gluten free buns (try these everything flavored buns!)
Green Goddess Dressing:
1/3 c. plain, low-fat yogurt
2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
kosher salt and pepper
Directions:
Cook bacon slices to your preferred crispiness. Place on a paper towel lined plate to remove the excess grease. Set aside.
Preheat a grill to medium high. Make the green goddess dressing by blending all of the ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a small dish and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the burgers, place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add 2 tbps of Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and combine. Divide the beef into four and form the patties. Press the center of each pattie with your thumb to make a 1/2 inch deep indentation. Season the patties on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly brush the grill grates with vegetable oil, then grill the patties, indentation side up for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until slightly firm for about 3 more minutes for medium doneness. Remove the patties and put on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
Top the buns with tomato, alfalfa sprouts, burger patties, green goddess dressing, bacon and avocado, then cover with the top bun.
Roll up your sleeves and dig in!