Making a vegan burger from scratch has been on my list of things to cook for quite some time now. Fourth of July weekend seemed like the perfect time to get started! There are so many delicious vegan burgers commercially available these days but many of them are heavily processed and contain lots of sodium and preservatives. I love this burger because it’s minimally processed and really fresh tasting. The black beans go so well with the cilantro and lime juice. It has just the right amount of mouthwatering spices and acid. It’s not dry and the edges crisp and brown nicely. This burger has enough protein from the quinoa and black beans to keep you full for a long time. It really does melt in your mouth! I think the best way to prepare it is on the stove top. Make sure you cook it on one side for about 8 minutes before flipping. This will make the burger keep it’s shape better. The patties are soft until you cook them all the way and they get firmer as they start to cool. If you’re carb conscious you could use a lettuce wrap instead of a bun to serve your burger in. These burgers are ready in less than an hour. They’re the perfect, no fuss summer meal! They also would go really well with the cilantro avocado sauce that I used in my recipe for black bean tacos. Take a picture and tag me @thefriendlyepicurean or Pin this recipe on Pinterest to let me know how it turned out!
Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers
Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 (15oz) can of black beans
- 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa (or 1 cup cooked quinoa)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tbs aquafaba (reserved from black beans)
- 1/4 roughly chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.5 tbs olive oil (divided)
- 2 tbs bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (thicker stems removed)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 hamburger buns Toppings (optional):
- 1 sliced avocado
- 1 sliced red onion
- 1 large, sliced tomato
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- hot sauce (such as Cholula)
Directions
Rinse quinoa and place in a medium sized saucepan with 2/3 cups water. Cook quinoa on medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Place black beans, cooked quinoa, aquafaba, onion, garlic, 1/2 tbs olive oil, bread crumbs, cilantro, lime juice, salt, chili powder, crushed red pepper, and cumin in a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until all ingredients are combined and a smooth paste is formed – about 2 minutes. Divide mixture into 4, 1/2 cup portions and use hands to form patties about 1/2 inch thick. Next, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large frying pan and cook patties for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Patties will start to brown and firm up. Assemble burgers with toppings and serve while hot. May store leftover patties in the fridge for up to 1 day.Nutrition Information:
- Approximate calories per cooked patty only: 209 cal
