ULTIMATE BLACK BEAN BURGERS
Inspired by Kenji’s recipe at Serious Eats, this recipe by Chef Candy Lesher utilizes his base concept then amps it up a few more notches for the ultimate in healthy deliciousness!
BIG BLEND RADIO INTERVIEW: Writer Linda Kissam and Chef Candy Lesher give an overview of the Phoenix, Arizona chapter of overview of Les Dames d’ Escoffier International (LDEI). Watch here in the YouTube player or listen to the podcast on PodBean or SoundCloud.
To make 8 burgers:
3 cans (15 oz) black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
2 tsp olive or avocado oil
½ large onion, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground
¾ cup fresh corn cut off the cob OR 1 cup defrosted corn
½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled (or if needed – vegan cheese such as shredded cheddar or Jack)
1 ½ Tb chipotle chile (canned in adobo) pureed (add more or less to your taste – adds a spicy-smoky flavor)
3 Tbs mayonnaise or veganaise
1 Tbs Braggs Aminos (or coconut aminos)
3 large eggs, whisked OR vegan egg replacement*
½ cup rolled oats, dry toasted in a skillet until lightly browned then coarsely ground in a food processor
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1. To get the best texture for your burger, place the drained beans on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet. Sauté the chopped onion until soft. Add the shallot and garlic then continue cooking until fragrant and softened. Add the ground cumin and cook just until fragrant. Remove from heat and cool briefly.
3. In a food processor, pulse the cooked onion and the roasted beans until coarsely chopped. Add in and pulse together the remaining ingredients, Let the mixture sit briefly before loosely forming into 1/2-cup patties. Mixture is firmer for handling if allowed to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours uncovered before forming into patties.
4. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until browned on each side OR bake in a 325-degree oven for 20 minutes. If cooking on a grill, chill the patties in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up, then cook over medium-low heat. No matter how you cook them, these taste fabulous with a little Havarti cheese melted on top!
Note: This mixture also makes excellent black bean meatballs, which can be made small, then served in a sauce as an appetizer, or made full-size and used to top a generous plate of cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
* In place of egg, whisk together 3 Tbs Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer with 1/3-cup water. Let this sit for 5 minutes before stirring into the burger mixture.
Candy Lesher is a veteran chef, instructor, speaker, writer, Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame inductee, former Editor-in-chief of Food & Life Magazine and simultaneously, host of Food & Life Television show. As a cancer survivor, she’s a passionate advocate of nutritional wellness in the home kitchen. As a Culinary Wellness Coach, she transitions clients to sustainable lifestyles by developing culinary skills and nutritional mindfulness while supplying customized recipes that replace those “refuse to give up” foods. Candy has currently served 4 years as Vice President and 4 years as President for Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Phoenix Chapter. More at https://www.yourkitchenrx.com/
