Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Veggie Burger

 

I'm not gonna lie, these black bean burgers were involved....quite a few steps to get to the end product, but truly so worth the hard work. They tasted amazing, my family LOVED them, and they were NOT mushy (which is the issue I have with most homemade veggie burgers)....they held their shape and cooked up beautifully. I did a little research before making these on how to get a black bean burger that isn't mushy. After researching I found that one way is to dry roast your canned beans in the oven before blending them. The other trick was adding in chopped cashews for an excellent overall texture. Now for the binder (which is important because to make these vegan, we cannot use eggs)....I took a chance on this, but I used applesauce AND a flax "egg" in place of an egg....and it worked out great. One other tip, if you want to skip the bun, this burger is just as tasty on top of a beautiful salad. 

Please enjoy these incredibly healthy, bursting with fiber and flavor, black bean burgers! Serve with sweet potato fries and a smoothie or side salad. 

Ingredients (this recipe makes 8 patties. You can freeze any uncooked extras by wrapping in parchment paper and placing in a ziplock bag. They should keep in the freezer for a couple of months) 

• 2 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbl flaxmeal + 3 Tbl water
• 2 Tbl olive oil OR water (for sautéing)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, minced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup cashews, chopped 
• 3/4 cup panko crumbs 
• 3/4  cup cooked brown rice
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbl coconut aminos (or sub tamari or soy sauce)
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegenaise 
• 1 Tbl Dijon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Hamburger buns
• 1 Tbl oil for cooking patties on the stovetop 
• Toppings Suggestions:
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Relish or pickles
• Vegan cheese
• Vegenaise 
• Vegan aioli sauce
• Sliced red onions

Avocado 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F

Drain the black beans, then spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes until beans are split and slightly dried out. Once cooled, place beans in a food processor and pulse about 8 times to break the beans down. Set aside. 

Make the flax egg by mixing 2 Tbl flaxseed with 3 Tbl water in a small dish. Set aside for a few minutes to allow it to firm up. 

Heat 2 Tbl of oil (or 2 Tbl water if you are water sautéing your veggies, which is what I did) in a medium pan over medium low heat. Add chopped onions and minced bell pepper and sauté for 8 -10 minutes, until veggies are soft. If the pan gets dry, add 1 Tbl of water at a time to prevent sticking. Just before adding garlic add one Tbl of water to the pan and sauté for another two to three minutes, being careful that the garlic doesn't burn. 

I used the food processor to break down the cashews. I pulsed them about 6 or 7 times. 

Mix the chopped cashews with the cooked onion/bell pepper/garlic mixture, and chopped black beans. Add the panko, cooked brown rice, chili powder and paprika; stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl mix together coconut aminos, applesauce, vegenaise, Dijon and prepared flax egg together. Pour this wet mixture into the bean/onion mixture and combine all ingredients. 

I used a approx. a 1/3 cup scoop to make each patty. Scoop out black bean mixture into your hands and form (you want these to be about the size of your buns). If your hands get too sticky, rinse them with a little bit of water to keep the mixtures from sticking to your hands. Place the patties in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before cooking. I made mine in the morning and then kept them in the fridge all day before cooking at dinner. 

When ready to cook, heat 1 Tbl oil in a large skillet over medium low heat; distribute oil so it covers the whole surface. Once hot add four patties at a time. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. You might need to add a little bit more oil to the pan before flipping to the other side. If you want to add vegan cheese (or cheese) do so after the second flip. If the cheese still needs more melting after your burger is cooked, remove pan from heat and put a cover over the top - this should allow the cheese to fully melt. 

Add topping of your choice and enjoy!