Miso Chickpea Sliders

8 tablespoons sweet white miso, divided

½ cup mayonnaise

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

1½ cups panko bread crumbs

1-2 tablespoons sesame oil (canola or vegetable oil can be substituted)

Sliced tomato

Leaf lettuce

8 mini burger buns

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the miso and the mayonnaise. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, remaining 6 tablespoons of miso, cilantro, olive oil, garlic powder, five-spice powder, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Pulse until coarsely chopped, but not pureed.

Form the mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches around and about 1½ inches thick. As you are forming the patties, use your fingers to firmly pack them.

Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. One at a time, set each patty in the bowl and pat bread crumbs onto all sides of it.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the patties and cook until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If the patties start to stick, add another tablespoon of oil when flipping.

Serve the burgers on buns topped with miso-mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.

Serves eight.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per slider: 456 calories, 20 g fat (2 g saturated), 43 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 15 g protein, 9 mg cholesterol; 1,482 mg sodium.

J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press