As a vegetarian for many years now, I know how important it is to get complete protein and to make that both easy and delicious to do. Plus who doesn't want a tasty and filling veggie burger from time to time, especially when you know the recipe works? Recently I set about discovering a black bean veggie burger recipe that I could make with whatever I typically already have on hand (no special or wildly specific ingredients) and that fit my criteria for all recipes I share with you: it has to be nourishing, delicious, and easy to make. 

 

Happily, this summer after poking around several different recipes online and exploring alternatives for things I never have on hand personally (panko bread crumbs, I'm looking at you), I came up with my own adaptation that I loved and that was so easy to make and so plentiful that I had extras to make for a gathering with my girlfriends from the same batch. 

 

This recipe says it makes 6 burger patties, but I found it easily made 8-10 if you make them a bit smaller — mine were about 3 1/2" in diameter and about 3/4" thick. You can customize as suits you. 

 

The main innovations I introduced into the recipes I pulled from and combined for my uses were:

FIRST, I swapped out the (dreaded) panko bread crumbs for ground up tortilla chips, which made a tasty kind of corn chip dust that together with the beans (corn + beans) makes a complete protein. It also made the recipe GF for any friends who find that works better for you.

SECOND, I also added lime zest — I am a huge fan of citrus, and I find that zest brings things to life in a way I love every time.

THIRD, I didn't have Worcestershire sauce, commonly called for but not something I ever have on hand, so I substituted balsamic vinegar. I loved the results.

Feel free to adjust and substitute as suits you and your pantry too — and have fun creating this nourishing and customizable meal!

 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup shallot, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Zest of 1 lime

1 egg

1 cup corn tortilla chip crumbs, finely ground in a food processor

Olive oil to brush on before cooking

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

01 — Combine in a large mixing bowl the beans, shallot, garlic, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and lime zest. Mash the mixture together using two forks or a potato masher until the consistency is right. Don't over-mash. Mash just until the beans are starting to break up. 

02 — Fold in the egg using a spatula. Then mix in the tortilla chip crumbs.

03 — Form patties of equal size with the mixture, pressing them into flattened burger discs with your hands. The patties should hold their shape. If the mixture is too wet, put it in the refrigerator to help it firm up for about 10 minutes.

04 — Place a skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is nice and warm, brush both sides of the bean burgers with olive oil, and place them onto the skillet. Cook each side of each burger for about 6 minutes, about 12 minutes total per burger, or until each side is nicely charred.

05 — Remove burgers from the skillet and serve them with your favorite accoutrements and toppings: buns or butter lettuce wraps, sliced heirloom tomato, sliced onion, sliced cheese, sliced avocado, arugula, mustard, ketchup, etc.

 

 

NOTES

VEGAN VARIATION — You can make these black bean burgers vegan if you create a flax egg instead of a chicken egg. To do so, combine 1 Tbs ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbs water, and let it sit for 5 minutes. It thickens during this time. After 5 minutes, use it as though it were an egg, and it will give you the same binding effect!

BAKING OPTION — You can bake these burgers instead, if you prefer. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake the patties on a lightly oiled baking pan for 10-15 minutes. Flip the patties halfway through the bake time.

STORAGE — Veggie burgers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the bean burgers for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer container, or wrapped well in plastic wrap and placed inside of a ziplock freezer bag. Thaw the patties fully before cooking.

 

Enjoy! For me, recipes need to be easy, nourishing, and delicious — all three — to meet my criteria of a recipe I love and will recommend. This one does it all. My favorite part is that because I substituted the normal recommendation of "panko bread crumbs" for "ground tortilla chip crumbs" the burgers become a complete vegetarian protein, as you need to pair legumes like black beans with a seed like corn to make the protein complete (this is why rice and beans go together too!). As an added bonus, if you are gluten intolerant or someone you are serving is, this makes the burgers free of gluten too.

 

With love and flowers,

 

 

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