Black Bean Veggie Burgers

February 27, 2012

I don’t how it’s possible, but I have two friends in my life who just don’t like red meat. It doesn’t sound appetizing to them. And they even know the difference between crappy, processed, chemical-filled, cancer-causing CAFO beef and healthy, happy, CLA-filled, cancer-fighting grass-fed beef. But still, hamburgers are not at the top of their most yummy food list. And I, being the lover of all deliciously healthy food that I am, can also appreciate a deviation from your typical beef burger in favor of some new flavors.

I actually really love veggie burgers (when they don’t come from a box full of processed soy). This recipe for black bean burgers is by far my favorite. I prefer baking them since they have a tendency to fall apart quite easily when cooked in the skillet. I’ve not tried them on a grill, so you’ll have to let me know if that option works well for you.

And you know to cook your own dried beans, right? Way less expensive than canned beans and you avoid all those nasty chemicals from the lining of the can. Cook up a big batch to store in the fridge or freezer and this meal just became a fast and easy weeknight staple.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. cooked black beans (no liquid)

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 in. pieces

1/2 onion, cut into wedges

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 egg

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. hot sauce

1/2 c. homemade bread crumbs (I like sourdough, sprouted, or gluten-free)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, mash up the black beans with a fork or potato masher. Throw the bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a food processor and dice them up finely. Stir them into the black bean mixture.

In a separate small bowl, combine the egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Stir the egg mixture into the black beans, then add bread crumbs. Using your fingers, divide mixture into four patties.

Place patties onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes each side.

I served mine open-face on sprouted Ezekiel buns with lettuce, mustard, and raw cheddar cheese. And though they aren’t in the picture, sweet potato fries were a wicked delicious side!