PIMENTÓN BURGERS

❚ 120 g walnuts

❚ Olive oil

❚ 1 small red onion, finely chopped

❚ 1 red chili, finely chopped

❚ 1 tsp ground cumin

❚ 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón)

❚ 1 x 400 g tin white beans, rinsed, drained and patted dry

❚ 75 g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped (keep the oil)

❚ 4 dried apricots, roughly chopped

❚ 75 g cooked rice (or another cooked grain)

❚ 30 g fresh breadcrumbs (or you could use fine porridge oats)

For the salsa:

❚ 2 roasted red peppers

❚ 200 g datterini or cherry tomatoes

❚ 50 g green olives, pitted

❚ A splash of sherry vinegar

❚ 2 tbsp olive oil

To serve:

❚ 4 burger buns, chargrilled

❚ Mayonnaise, or vegan mayonnaise

❚ A little more sweet smoked paprika

❚ Manchego or vegan cheese, thinly sliced

❚ 1 handful cress

1. Put the walnuts into a hot dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Tip into a bowl to cool. Return the pan to the heat.

Add a little oil, the onion and chili. Cook for 10 minutes, or until soft and sweet. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Blitz the cooled walnuts with the cumin and paprika. Add half a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper to the blender until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mash the beans in a bowl with a fork. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, apricots, rice, onion and chili mixture, walnut mixture and breadcrumbs and mix well to a mouldable dough. If it seems dry, add a little oil from the tomatoes.

3. Line a tray with baking paper. Squeeze together a quarter of the mixture, put it on the tray and flatten slightly into a burger shape. Repeat until you have four burgers. Brush each with a little oil. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes or until you need to cook them. You can freeze them at this point too; they keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

4. Heat a frying pan until hot. Add a little oil and fry the burgers for about 3–4 minutes on each side, not moving them until a crust has formed. The burgers are quite fragile, so be gentle with them. Alternatively, you could bake them in the oven at 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make your salsa. Chop the peppers, tomatoes and olives together on a board, then add to a bowl with a good pinch of salt, the vinegar and oil. Taste and add more salt, vinegar and oil as needed.

6. To assemble the burgers, spread both sides of the bun with a little mayonnaise. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and add the salsa to the bottom half of the bun. Put the burger on top, then a couple of slices of Manchego, a big pinch of cress and the second half of the bun. Makes: 4