Best Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Makes 6 – 8 Burgers | 50 Minutes

These delicious black bean veggie burgers are loaded with flavor and can be put together fairly quickly in a food processor.

Ingredients

  • 1 chopped onion, diced
  • 4-6 Baby Bella mushrooms, wiped clean with a moist cloth, and sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 fresh pasilla or poblano pepper, diced
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 Tbsp Tamari, to taste
  • 1-2 Tbsp organic Ketchup or BBQ sauce (optional, but adds flavor)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic granules
  • 1/2 cup short grain brown rice cooked in 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, lower stems cut off
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, lower stems cut off
  • 1 large handful baby spinach, roughly chopped (~1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 2 cups black beans, drained and dried with paper or cloth towels
  • 1 Flax egg replacer (1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 Tbsp water)

Intructions

  1. In a large skillet, saute onions and mushrooms on medium heat in 1 Tbsp oil until softened, around 5-7 minutes, stirring as needed as you add the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Add the carrot and pasilla pepper and saute 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute.
  4. Add the Tamari, Ketchup/BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic granules, and cook until moisture is evaporated.
  5. Add cooked rice, combine well, and remove from heat.
  6. When veggies have cooled down add the mix to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency, then add the mix into a large mixing bowl.
  7. Add the fresh parsley, cilantro, sunflower seeds, and oats to a food processor. Pulse until chopped, but it still has a good texture. Add chopped spinach and pulse again until chopped.
  8. In a large bowl, rough mash the 2 cups of black beans with a potato masher. Or you can also just add them to the food processor and carefully pulse so you keep a shape and texture to the beans. Add the mix to the large mixing bowl with the sauteed veggies.
  9. Mix the flax and water together and let it sit for 5 minutes; add in the flax egg replacer and mix well with the burger mixture. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings.
  10. You should now have a burger mix that will hold together well in a grill pan. Shape the patties and chill in the fridge or freezer to help them hold together in the grill pan. Using your hands, scoop up about 3/4 cup of burger mix. Shape into a fairly flat patty, about 1/2″ thick.
  11. Spray a little non-stick spray directly on one side of the burger and lightly sear in a heated cast-iron skillet or grill pan on med-high for 2-3 minutes. Lightly spray the other side of the burger, flip over, and sear for 2-3 more minutes.
  12. Then transfer burgers to a preheated 400-degree oven and bake for 6 minutes on one side, flip over and bake 6 minutes more on the other side. Turn off the oven, melt cheese, and assemble burgers.

Notes

Garnish Options: Vegan smoked gouda or a cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, catsup, sriracha, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion slices, avocado slices, roasted red pepper slices.

Tips: If you’ve dried the beans well, the mixture will not be wet or soggy. That’s the secret to the veggie burgers holding their shape. Chilling the burgers in the freezer or fridge also helps hold them together well. Enjoy!