This is one of my favorite meals, and, of the (several) vegetarian burgers I’ve attempted to make, it’s definitely one of the easiest as well. These burgers don’t fall apart, either, and they also freeze incredibly (which is good, because the recipe makes 8). I use a slight modification of this Black Bean Burger recipe from Vegweb.com. The original recipe calls for three 16 oz cans of black beans, but I prefer dried beans because they are much cheaper and tend to taste better to me. And, of course, the more traditional stovetop method of cooking the beans is entirely acceptable–I just find it much too tedious because sometimes I’m not home long enough during the day to actually let the beans cook. The onion, garlic, and jalapeno are not supposed to sauteed before adding to the bean mixture, but I’ve found that biting into huge chunks of raw onion makes these burgers less enjoyable for us and gives me really killer indigestion. Instead of egg, the original recipe calls for applesauce, but because I am not vegan, nor do I have kids running around (applesauce seems like a kid food to me), I am far more likely to have eggs in the fridge. This recipe can be easily re-veganized by substituting 1/4 cup of applesauce for the egg. I also find that these taste best when cooked in cast iron, especially if it’s the same skillet used to cook the onion mixture.
pictured with its good friends ketchup, mustard, and American cheese.
To make my version of these burgers, you’ll need:
2 cups of dried black beans
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cornmeal, combined in a small bowl
some type of vegetable oil (I usually use sunflower.)
The night before I want to make these, I rinse the beans and put them into my crock pot with around 8 cups of water to soak overnight (with the crock pot unplugged). The next morning (around 8 or 9, before I leave for class) I just turn it on high and let them cook all day. By the time I’m home around 6 or 7 they’re tender enough to be drained, rinsed, and coarsely mashed with a fork. I prefer to leave some beans whole, but it depends on what kind of texture you like. Next I saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in a little olive oil until the onion is translucent, and then I combine the onion mixture, oats, egg, and salt with the mashed up beans. If everything is cool enough, the easiest way to tackle this step is to mush it all up with my hands. I let the vegetable oil heat up on the stove while I shape the mixture into 8 patties. Then I cover the patties in the cornmeal/flour mixture (I like to coat them very thickly so they’re pretty crispy), and fry them a few at a time in the hot oil.
I usually serve these on whole wheat buns to make myself feel a little better about the fried element. Still, they are packed with fiber and incredibly filling. They’re good with all kinds of toppings, but my favorite combinations so far are tomato and avocado or the classic ketchup, mustard, and cheese (pictured).
I’m not a vegetarian, but I would tear that bad boy UP.