Spicy Black Bean Burgers

February 12, 2018

There’s something wonderfully meaty and satisfying about a burger made from beans. And the spice in these babies is just the ticket to getting meat off the table without much of a fuss. The lack of saturated fat and density of nutrients makes these burgers the perfect entrée.

Makes 4 Burgers

Ingredient List:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can of black turtle beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup silken tofu, pureed
  • Sea salt
  • cracked ground pepper
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • avocado oil for frying
  • Romaine lettuce leaves for serving
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Step By Step Instructions:

Mash the beans with a fork in a large bowl and mix in onions, garlic, hot sauce, red pepper, cayenne, tofu, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in bread crumbs in small amounts to hold the burgers together (you may not need the whole cup). As soon as the burger mixture holds together, stop adding bread crumbs or the burgers will be too dry. Form the bean mixture into thick patties.

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a deep skillet and fry the patties until firm, about 4 minutes on each side. You can also grill them over medium heat on a gas grill.

To serve, arrange lettuce leaves on plates with the burger in the middle of the leaf. Mix together the tomatoes, parsley and olive oil. Mound the tomato mixture in the center of each burger and serve.