Black Bean Burgers
Black beans, rice, and oats can be a little bland if they're not treated properly, so make sure you add plenty of aromatic flavors to this dish to boost the deliciousness. Along with garlic, onions, and mushrooms, we added tomato paste, which is rich and slightly sweet. Vegan Worcestershire doesn’t contain anchovies like the regular version does, but gives it umami.
We cooked our black bean burgers in a cast iron skillet, but you could also grill them with the help of some tin foil to keep them together over the grill's grates. Veggie burgers don’t have the same fat as a normal beef burger would, so you’ll want to make sure you use a little oil or non-stick spray so that your patties don’t stick. You want the pan to be hot so that the burgers had a nice sear on them, but keep an eye on them, and don’t be afraid to rotate them if you notice one part of your pan is getting hotter than the rest.
- 3 Tablespoons flax seed, ground
- 5 Tablespoons water
- 14 ounce can of black beans, drained and mashed
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- ¾ cup walnuts, ground coarse
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use vegetarian if you want the recipe to be vegetarian)
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces button mushrooms, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Black Bean Burger Seasoning
- Coarse Sea Salt and Black Pepper Medium Grind to taste
- Combine ground flaxseed and water and mix well. Set aside to let thicken for 5 minutes.
- Combine mashed black beans, rice, walnuts, oats, Arrowroot Powder, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Stir in thickened flaxseed mixture. Mix well.
- In a sauté pan heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil to medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Increase heat slightly to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Make sure all moisture is cooked off. Add Black Bean Burger Seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- Combine the cooked mushroom mixture with the black bean mixture. Season with Coarse Sea Salt and Black Pepper Medium Grind if necessary. Refrigerate mixture for 30-40 minutes.
- Form mixture into 8-4oz. patties. This is approximately ½ cup of black bean mix per burger, and will make burgers approximately ½ inch thick.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet to medium. In batches, cook burgers 3-4 minutes per side. Do not flip too early, as the burger could stick.
- Baking directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad, and place burgers on it. Bake in 375°F oven for 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Serve on rolls with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion and desired condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise or vegan mayo.
