Smoky Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

One look at Minimalist Baker’s latest veggie burger recipe, and I knew I had to make it. For me, the challenge was skipping the barbecue sauce (not a winner among the German guys I feed) and still achieve a well-seasoned result. I’d call the experiment a success! (and if you happen to be a barbecue sauce fan, you will find a link to the original recipe below)

Fair warning: You’ll need to set aside a full hour to prep this mixture. Even with my best efforts to simplify steps, it still took time. The results were worth it, and once formed, the patties can be frozen for quick future meals.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (cook with a veggie bouillon cube for more flavor)
• 1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and dried in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes on a baking sheet to remove moisture)
• 3/4 cup finely ground nuts (I use Pamela’s Nut Flour Blend)
• 1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (plus more for cooking burgers)
• 1 heaping cup sliced and peeled sweet potato (steamed until tender and cooled)
• 2 heaping cups thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms (saute and drain any liquid)
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin powder

Directions

1. Once sweet potato, beans, mushrooms and quinoa are cooled, you can begin to assemble your burgers.
2. Mix beans and nuts in a food processor and gently pulse into a loose meal (leaving texture).
3. Add cooked sweet potato, mushrooms, half the quinoa, sea salt, smoked paprika, cumin and coconut aminos, and pulse a few times to combine (keeping some texture to the mix).
4. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the quinoa. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. If the mixture appears too wet, add more ground nuts. If it looks too dry, add more coconut aminos to moisten.
6. Divide the mixture into evenly sized balls and form into patties with your hands. Refrigerate burgers for a minimum of 30 minutes (burgers can also be frozen at this point).
7. Once chilled, heat a cast-iron or heavy metal pan over medium heat. Once hot, add a bit of oil and the burgers. Cook 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook 4-5 minutes on the other side.
8. Transfer browned patties to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 15 minutes at 375° F.

You may enjoy this spicy avocado mayo to serve as a condiment. It was delicious!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Photo by Melissa Rae Dale