Real talk: I am not a fan of plant based burgers – I think it has been amazing to see the sheer amount of vegetarians options that have come on the market in recent years compared to the options I had while growing up but I have a theory about plant based meats. For meat eaters who are looking to consume less meat, I think the Impossible and Beyond meat products have done a fantastic job with recreating the texture and consistency of meat – but for a vegetarian like myself who actually LIKES vegetables, I don’t need my meals to taste (or look!) like meat. And so the slow disappearance of house-made veggie burgers off restaurant menus in favor of the plant based ready-made options has been slightly disappointing!

So of course I had to try and make a veggie burger at home. I’m partial to a black bean burger – I love the taste and texture of any kind of beans and we had to experiment a little to get the right burger not too soggy, not too dry. The key is to bake the black beans first to slightly dry them (thanks Sally’s Baking Addiction!) and a good veggie base that you cook separately. This has been a staple for us this summer and hope it will be part of yours too!

 

Tips & Tricks

• We borrowed the tip to dry out the black beans from Sally’s Baking Addiction – we used to get very soggy burger patties and no amount of breadcrumbs would help; baking the beans for a short time really helps with the amount of liquid but also gives the burgers a really great texture
• You can use any combination of vegetables but we find that the mushrooms gave a great umami flavor and should always be included!
• If you don’t have access to Trader Joe’s you can add some smoked paprika to replace the mushroom umami and everything but the leftovers seasoning – but we sincerely LOVE their seasoning blends so if you do have a store closely, stock up on these – we use them in a LOT of recipes.

Recipe Information

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 burgers 

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 cup white onion finely chopped
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
• 2-3 jalapeños de-seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Trader Joes Mushroom Umami seasoning
• 1 tsp Trader Joes Everything but the Leftovers seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F; spread rinsed black beans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 min until they are slightly dried out
2. In a pan with some olive oil, sauté chopped jalapeños, onions and garlic and add cumin, Trader Joes seasoning, chili powder and salt/pepper
3. Once onions are soft, add carrots mushrooms and peppers and continue to cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes
4. After mixture has cooled slightly, add black beans and gently mash with a potato masher. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
5. Add breadcrumbs and eggs and mix well
6. Form into patties and cook on grill for 12-15 min flipping over halfway depending on how much char you like on your burgers!