Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

Compared to beef burgers, vegetarian bean burgers tend to be a bit mushy in the middle. This is primarily because a black bean patty is made up mostly of starch and proteins that have already been cooked once. They no longer cling together in the same way and don’t really change shape when you cook them for a second time. For this reason, I needed to add ingredients that would make it more crumbly, if you will, in the middle. I learned a handy little trick that did just this. I baked the beans for 1/2 an hour in the oven to dry them out a bit and added 1/4 cup of nuts. Not only did this create an exceptional burger but adding the nuts also increased the protein count. Win-win!

These burgers are a nice alternative to beef burgers and a better choice than store bought veggie burgers that tend to be loaded with sodium. Each serving has 17.8g of net carbs, 12.1g of protein and 5 Weight Watchers points.

They pair fabulously with our Bitter Melon relish. The bitter taste of the relish is very subtle and goes very well with the beans. Add a little bit of ketchup, freshly grated parmesan, red dandelion and onion sprouts.

Try them on their own with a mixed green salad or in a high protein pita.

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers Recipe

By kimmy Published: March 30, 2015

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Ready In: 35 mins

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa dry
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion , chopped
1 jalapeno chopped
3 cloves garlic , minced
1/2 tsp salt , divided
1 15 oz black beans can, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cashews or walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large egg
2/3 cup corn frozen
1/2 cup cilantro , chopped
2 tsp cumin ground
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup quinoa flour

Instructions

Place the quinoa in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat and add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute until softened, 5-6 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Spread black beans on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes until beans have popped open.
Place baked beans in a food processor and grind them up then transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in the tomato paste, egg, corn, cilantro, cumin, nuts and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cooked quinoa, oats, and quinoa flour until well mixed.
Form the mixture into 6 equal patties.
Preheat oil in a frying pan to medium-high heat. Cook 6-8 minutes until the patties are golden brown and crispy. Carefully flip the over and cook another 6-8 minutes until slightly golden.