Black Bean Burgers, From Scratch!

When you want something meaty, but don’t really want the meat, try some black bean burgers! They are filling and rich in protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and this recipe even provides you with a serving of veggies in one patty! I had some leftover sautéed mushrooms that I snuck into mine, but these burgers are perfectly delicious with many other veggies! The pepper adds some sweetness, and you can even add different herbs for some extra zing!

Ingredients: 

Cooking time: 45 minutes

• 1/2 cup dry black beans, rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, cut into quarters
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 cup carrots (baby carrots or peel; and chop 1 large carrot)
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Using a sauce pot, boil the black beans in 3 cups water. These will cook for approximately 3 hours. Alternatively, if you have a pressure cooker, boil them on high pressure for 30 minutes.
2. If you have a weak blender, add carrots to the pot of beans in the last 20 minutes of cooking, or 10 minutes of pressure cooking so they can soften.
3. Drain the water from the beans, and put them in the blender. Add all the other vegetables and garlic, too. Puree on high for about 1.5 minutes, or until everything is mixed together and no large chunks remain.
4. Move the bean and veggie mix from the blender to a bowl, and mix in salt and ground flaxseed. The ground flaxseed takes the place of breadcrumbs and egg for thickening the mixture.
5. If your mixture is still watery, add more ground flax as needed, or flour if desired.
6. Now, you are ready to make your burgers! Form the patties and fry in a pan with just 1 tsp of oil. On medium heat, the patties will require around 8 minutes of cooking on each side.
7. Assemble your burger: grill your bun, adding cheese if desired, as well as lettuce or spinach, tomato, mustard, and katsup!

Tip: The black bean burger mix will stay fresh refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you may also freeze the mixture for use at a later date, up to 4 months in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 patty (excluding bun and fixings)

Calories: 140   |   Total fat: 2g   |   Sat fat: 0g   |   Sodium: 240 mg   |   Total Carbohvdrates: 18g   |   Sugars: 1 g   |   Dietary Fiber: 7g   |   Protein: 10g

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