Veggie Burger Week: Black Bean Burgers

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This week, Liz and I thought it would be fun to share with you our favorite veggie burger recipes.  Although I am not a vegetarian, I am not a very 'meat-centric' eater.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good steak.  But, it is not uncommon for me to go a full day without eating meat.  That said, I always struggle to come up with creative recipes for meatless Fridays during Lent.  For some reason, it seems like on Fridays during Lent I am more tempted to eat meat!  One of my go-to favorites, however, is a black bean burger.  Last week I broke out the recipe that I've been using for a few years now.  It's based on this one that I found using a simple Google search.  

You will need the following ingredients for 6 burgers:

1 (16 ounce) can black beans
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1-2 eggs
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/3 cup bread crumbs

To begin, chop up all your vegetables.  I always make them into really small pieces, but if you want a bit more 'crunch' in your burger you can leave them in bigger pieces.  Set the veggies aside.

Open the can of black beans and rinse them using a colander.   Add them to a medium size bowl.  



For the next step you will need a bit of elbow grease.  Mash the beans completely until they form a thick paste.  I used both a wooden spoon and a fork to accomplish this, but a potato masher would also work well.  Stir in the vegetables to the black bean paste.

In a separate small bowl, mix the egg, cayenne pepper, cumin, and hot sauce.  Start with one egg, and if the black bean mixture is too dry, reserve the second for extra liquidity. I also always add extra cayenne and hot sauce because I like the burgers a bit spicier.

Stir in the egg mixture to the black bean and veggie paste.  Mix in the breadcrumbs until the mixture becomes a sticky paste.  You want to have some moisture, but should be able to form a patty that holds together.  Often times I have to play with the ratio of breadcrumbs to egg, which is where the second egg comes into play. 



Form 6 patties.  Grease cooking surface (either a grill pan or an outdoor grill) and heat to medium.  Once the surface is hot, add the patties and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side.  When you flip them, do so carefully.  They are a bit more delicate than meat-based burgers and have a tendency to break apart if handled roughly.

I added avocado and goat cheese and served these with homemade baked sweet potato fries.  This meal has been a crowd pleaser with many meat-loving men. (And women, too, of course. But I find the men more gratifying because they are always VERY skeptical.)  I've actually had them ask me to make them specifically!  So, give them a try, and let me know what you think! Check back on Thursday for Liz's Greek Quinoa Veggie Burgers.