Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post
These burgers are made with chopped fresh salmon seasoned with lemon, dill and mustard. They have a Greek flavor accent that is punctuated by an accompanying herb-flecked cucumber-yogurt sauce (tzatziki). Serve them on burger buns, in pita pockets, over green salad or in lettuce wraps for a deliciously different and healthful way to escape from a basic-burger or same-old-grilled-salmon rut.
The burgers may be assembled, shaped and refrigerated, tightly covered, 1 day before cooking. The tzatziki sauce may be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; give it a stir before serving.
Salmon Burgers with Tzatziki
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/2 medium unpeeled English (seedless) cucumber, trimmed
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the burgers:
3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed
One-pound piece skinless salmon fillet, preferably center-cut
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Oil for the grill or grill pan
Whole-grain buns or lettuce leaves, for serving
Directions:
For the sauce: Grate the cucumber on the large-holed side of a box grater. Place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh strainer and drain for a minute or two, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
Stir together the grated cucumber, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. The yield is about 1 cup. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (and up to 4 days).
For the burgers: Place the bread in the food processor and pulse to make fine crumbs. (The yield should be about 1 1/2 cups.) Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Cut the salmon into large chunks, then transfer to the food processor; pulse until chopped but some pieces still remain visible, 10 to 15 pulses; add to the bowl with the bread crumbs. Add the scallions, celery, dill, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, egg white, salt and pepper to the bowl, mixing to combine. Form this mixture into 4 equal patties and place them on a plate. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes to set.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, grease it with oil; add the salmon patties and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until just cooked through.
Serve with the sauce, on whole-grain buns or with lettuce leaves (to use as wraps).
Makes 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 burger
Per serving (burger and sauce only)
Calories 290; Total Fat 11 g (Sat Fat 2 g); Protein 32 g; Carb 18 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 55 mg; Sodium 590 mg; Total Sugar 5 g (including 0 g added sugar)
