Black Bean Burgers
Beans are a staple of a Vegan diet. Bean soup, bean salad, and of course bean burgers. Beans of all kinds are an important part of a healthy diet. The have been around for 1000's of years and they have been consumed by some of the longest lived civilizations. They contain complex carbohydrates important for fueling our bodies. One 1/2 cup serving of black beans contains 8 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 15% of our daily value of Iron, and only 120 calories. Eating beans daily can help you lose weight and reverse diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
I've tried many recipes and have settled on this quick and easy recipe as my go to burger. Toppings make the burger! Experiment with different sauces, veggies, and peppers. You can have a different taste each time. Our new favorite sauce is from Just a Vegan Chipotle mayo by Hampton Creek. It has the perfect peppery kick to take an ordinary bean burger to extraordinary. Yes, it is that good. 😋 I personally like to forgo the bread and place my burger on top of a big plateful of lettuce, onions, tomatoes, banana peppers, and chipotle mayo. Then I have room for herb infused baked French fries. Yum!
Enjoy!
Black Bean Burger Recipe:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed and steamed (about 1 cup) optional
1 green onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup mild or medium salsa
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
Place beans in large glass bowl, mash by hand with a potato masher leaving some bits of beans. Add remaining ingredients except sweet potatoes and mix well. Add sweet potato, mash slightly leaving some chunks. If mixture is too wet add more ground flax seed. For best results refrigerate mixture for about an hour before cooking. This step is recommended but not necessary.
Heat large cast iron skillet on medium for 3 minutes. If using other type of pan heat accordingly. Lightly oil pan or spray with cooking spray. Divide mixture into 3-4 patties. Place all patties in pan, lightly oil top of patties or spray with cooking spray, cook 4 minutes before turning, turn and cook 4 more minutes until brown on other side. Cook few minutes more on each side if needed.
*Burgers can also be cooked on an oiled baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Place on a sprouted grain roll and top with onion, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and chipotle mayo. Or skip the roll and place burger on top of a bowl filled with all the toppings. Great either way!
BBQ Bean Burgers
Replace salsa with BBQ sauce and add 1 Tablespoon McCormick's Grill Mates barbecue seasoning. Sprinkle seasoning on top of burgers while cooking.
To make a large batch of burgers, soak 1 pound black beans overnight and cook accordingly. Follow above directions using three times the amount of all ingredients. Makes about 12 burgers.