16 Comments

• Nicki

  12 Aug 2010 12:08 pm

  Oooh! Me! I make the following black bean burgers and I love them, especially with avocado and/or guacamole. Additionally, I’ve made lentil walnut burgers and enjoy them as well.

  Black Bean Burger:
  Inspired by All Recipes
  * 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  * 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
  * 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
  * 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
  * 1 egg
  * 1 tsp chili powder
  * 1.5 tsp cumin
  * 1 tsp Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
  * 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  * I recently made these with a few shishito peppers thrown in, and it was great!

  Directions

  1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
  2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
  3. In a food processor, blend the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and peppers if you’re using them. Then stir into mashed beans.
  4. Add the egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
  5. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. (I usually add some, stir and add a bit more until the consistency is right. Divide mixture into four patties.
  6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

  Reply
• Sonja

  12 Aug 2010 12:08 pm

  Thanks, Nicki! We’ll have to give it a try!

  What was the texture like for this recipe? Our problem was that even though they held together on the grill, they were kind of like eating mashed potatoes on a bun — I like to have some sense of texture when I’m eating a sandwich! How would you say this recipe would hold up to the challenge?

  Reply
• Magda @ Be Nutritious

  19 Aug 2010 12:08 pm

  It looks great, I love veggie burgers, sometimes I make them myself but when I feel lazy I eat Amy’s brand, they’re delicious. I always have some veggie burgers in my freezer in case I’ll get hunger attack. I’m a vegetarian so veggie burgers are a must.

  Reply
• Magda @ Be Nutritious

  19 Aug 2010 12:08 pm

  I’ve read somewhere that if you’ll add rolled oats to the bean burger it will be much more crunchy. I never tried adding oats though, I probably should just to see the difference.

  Reply
• Sonja

  19 Aug 2010 12:08 pm

  Thanks, Magda! We also tried a recipe with rolled oats but it had similar problems. I’m thinking maybe we’ll try quinoa next and see what happens!

  I do agree – it’s nice to have veggie burgers in the freezer, even though we try to mainly cook unprocessed :)

  I like your blog, btw! We eat mainly vegetarian too — looks like you have some great recipes!

  Reply
• Kristie

  19 Aug 2010 01:08 pm

  This is a recipe that I got from an episode of Guy Fieri’s “Guy’s Big Bite”, and I really like it a lot. Makes many patties, but they freeze well. The texture is the closest to an actual meat burger that I have been able to find. I actually don’t use quite as much oatmeal as the recipe calls for, and still has nice texture. Enjoy!

  Ingredients
  2 ounces olive oil
  3 tablespoons diced red onion
  2 tablespoons diced black olives
  2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
  1 teaspoon diced jalapeno
  1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
  1 tablespoon diced artichoke
  4 ounces black beans, drained
  4 ounces chickpeas, drained
  4 ounces white beans, drained
  6 ounces rolled oats
  1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
  1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
  1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
  1 egg
  Directions
  In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool.

  Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  In saute pan add 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side.

  Reply

  • Sonja

    20 Aug 2010 02:08 pm

    Thanks for the idea, Kristie! Sounds like a lot of flavor!
• Cooking with Coley

  19 Aug 2010 06:08 pm

  Even if it didn’t taste right, it sure looked great! Heck you even made the top 9! Congrats!

  Reply

  • Sonja

    20 Aug 2010 02:08 pm

    Aww, thanks for the moral support!! I guess failures can be just as interesting as successes :)
• Trish

  19 Aug 2010 08:08 pm

  Wow, that burger does look super juicy. I just wanna bite right into it. I will be posting a veggie soon. Stay tuned.

  Reply
• Kelly

  20 Aug 2010 12:08 am

  Sorry to hear that. It’s my experience that veggie burgers are always a little bit soft in the middle. That said, it seems like something like nuts, vital gluten, or textured vegetable protein might help make it a little meatier. I have this recipe for cashew burgers that may help you get a little closer. I haven’t tried it yet myself but it sounds good:

  Cashew Burgers
  Ingredients
  ½ pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (scant 2 cups)
  ¼ pound carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
  ¼ pound broccoli florets, cut into small pieces (about 2 cups)
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  1 cup onion
  2 teaspoons minced ginger root
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
  ¼ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  2 tablespoons ketchup
  ½ teaspoon tamari
  ¾ teaspoon sambal oelek or red chili paste (or to taste)
  1 cup prepared bulgur
  ¾ cup unsalted raw cashew pieces, ground in a spice/coffee grinder to a coarse powder
  1 ¾ cups bread crumbs
  Salt
  Method
  1. Steam the potatoes and carrots until both are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Steam the broccoli separately for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. (Alternatively, you can add the broccoli to the potatoes and carrots during the last 7 to 10 minutes of steaming.) Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until it is wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and stir to distribute them evenly. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, ketchup, tamari, and sambal oelek. Reduce heat and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 10 minutes. (The vegetables will cook in their own liquid. Uncover occasionally and stir in a teaspoon or two of water if the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the skillet.) With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a large bowl. If any sauce has accumulated at the bottom, reduce it over medium heat to a syrupy consistency, stirring often. Pour sauce over the vegetables.
  3. In a food processor, place steamed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, onion-mushroom mixture, and bulgur. Pulse on and off several times until thoroughly blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add ground cashews and 1 1/4 cups of the bread crumbs. Mix with a large spoon or, even better, with your hands until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt. Form into 12 patties, each 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. The mixture will be very soft and sticky. Mix in extra bread crumbs if the patties don’t hold their shape. They will firm up during cooking.
  4. Prepare a grill or reheat the broiler. Place the patties on a vegetable grid. If broiling, place the patties on a broiler pan or large cookie sheet lined with a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil. Grill or broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat, 6 to 7 minutes per side or until lightly brown. Check often to prevent burning.

  I have tried the following recipe though and loved it. I cannot remember 100% what the texture was like, but I posted about them here:

  http://pink-apron.com/2008/10/malt-shop-inspired-grub-veganized/

  Reply

  • Sonja

    20 Aug 2010 03:08 pm

    Thanks, Kelly! Yes, I was thinking about adding grain or nuts for texture -- possibly quinoa, but I like the idea of bulgur wheat as well!
• Nathalie

  19 Sep 2010 12:09 pm

  Try out the Black Bean Veggie Burger from the Whitewater Cooks book.
  The book is fabulous and worth owning,but here’s a link to the recipe:
  http://fivefortyathome.blogspot.com/2009/02/veggie-burger-recipe.html

  Reply
• Alyssa

  01 Mar 2011 09:03 pm

  I completely understand the flop!! I, myself, have made a few different veggie burgers in the past and have had good results…a few months ago I decided that I wanted to make a homemade black bean burger. I tried a few recipes I got from the internet, but nothing was satisfying…just this week I tried to come up with my own recipe, I really enjoyed these…much better than anything else I’ve tried:

  Ingredients:
  1 pkg black beans (about 2 cups), soaked, cooked, and smashed
  about 1/2 c brown rice, cooked
  Blended:
  1 can rotel, original (10 oz)
  1 medium red onion
  1 tbsp minced garlic
  1 jalapeno
  1/4 c cilantro
  1 c corn,(i used frozen)
  3/4 tsp salt
  3 tbsp wheat flour
  1/8 tsp oregano
  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  1 tsp cumin
  1 1/2 tsp paprika
  2 tsp chili powder

  Directions:
  Mix beans and rice together
  Blend listed ingredients
  Mix two separate mixtures together
  Form into patties
  Bake on sprayed cookie sheets at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes…turning half way and rotating oven racks (this recipe made about 20 burgers)

  (btw…I just came across your blog…LOVE it!! Thanks for your hard work!)

  Reply

  • Alex

    01 Mar 2011 11:03 pm

    Thanks for the recipe! If we ever get over our failures, we'll give it a try... already considering grilling it after baking :)
• Zarah

  18 Jun 2011 07:06 am

  I’m gonna try to translate my “nuballs” for you – it works as both a meatball’ey type and as patties.

  Okay, here you go!
  Zarah’s nutballs/nutburgers:

  200 grams of nuts (whatever kind you like – feel free to mix)
  about 500 grams of drained beans. I usually go with big whites.
  one red onion
  2 eggs – I bet this can be substituted if you prefer the recipe vegan, though!
  some wheat flour (a pinch or two, depending on the stickiness of the “dough”)
  chili/cayenne-powder, white pepper, paprika powder, garlic (to taste) and some boullion. I prefer the powdered type – I use it as seasoning.

  Mix the nuts until they’re gretty much ground up. Add beans and mix together.
  Chop the onion finely and add it. Add flour if you need to make it a little firmer. It’s supposed to have a sticky, but still firm feel – one that’s easy to form. Season to taste.

  Make burgers (it’s kind of sticky, so water on your hands is a good idea!) and fry them in oil for about five minutes on each side. Eat.. Enjoy!
  (I make these for Christmas too, with seasonal seasoning, because meatballs are a huge tradition on X-mas in Sweden. My DH, who eats meat, has stopped getting “real” ones – he just wants the veggie version. :))

  I’m sorry if the recipe isn’s easy to follow, I made mine up and it’s in Swedish – but hopefully you can make heads and tails of it, anyway?

  Reply