Hearty Black Bean Burger Recipe

If you're trying to cut back on red meat but chicken sandwiches or turkey burgers just don't do it for you, or if you're a vegetarian who is tired of overly "meaty" imitation meat patties and of green and crumbly veggie patties alike, well, all of you are in the right place right now. And that place is here with this hearty bean burger recipe from recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating. Big, beefy (figuratively speaking), satisfying, and totally meat-free, these bean patties are the perfect solution for someone who wants a handful of a burger, no meat or soy or mushrooms required. And they take all of a half hour to prepare, waiting time and cooking included, so you can serve them up fast once you decide what's for diner.

As for how best to enjoy these bean burgers, Brookes recommends a classic approach: "In a toasted burger bun with fries or potato wedges and salad is my favorite way to eat them! And of course adding a little mayo or ketchup too." Hungry yet? Then let's get cooking!

To make a flight of these hefty, tasty bean burgers, you'll need a couple of cans of black beans, some roughly chopped onion, some roughly chopped cloves of garlic, rolled oats, an egg, soy sauce, chili powder mix, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and olive oil for frying.

Asked about a stand-out ingredient, Brookes says: "I think the addition of soy sauce and spices adds loads of savory, smoky, and spicy flavor to the burgers."

Once you have your ingredients measured and chopped and prepped, it's time to get to the food processing of it all. First, add the onion and garlic to a food processor (a high-speed blender works too) and blitz them a few times to break the pieces down small. Then add all of the remaining ingredients — except for the olive oil, which is for frying — to the food processor and run it until they have combined well. (You may need to scrape some ingredients down the sides of the device and then keep running it.)

Once all of the ingredients have been well chopped and combined in the food processor, let the mixture rest for a good 10 minutes. This lets the oats absorb some of the liquid (and the flavor) and will lead to patties with a better consistency. After the rest period, form 4 to 6 bean burger patties, the size being totally a matter of preference.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and once it has warmed, start frying the patties. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes undisturbed, then carefully flip each burger and let it fry for 5 minutes more. They will be cooked though and have a satisfying crust when done. "[A] tip is to make sure the heat isn't too high when frying the burgers," says Brookes."Keep the heat on a medium setting or the burgers may start to brown too quickly without cooking in the middle."

Once the patties are cooked, it's time to enjoy however you want best, but remember that the classic approach is a winner here. And don't worry if any patties end up uneaten — Brookes says of leftover bean burgers: "They should keep well in the fridge up to 3 days, or you can freeze them up to 3 months. To reheat, simply pop [them] in the oven."