The patties are very flavourful, but soft in texture. I recommend adding plenty of 'crunch' to your burger to enjoy a balanced bite with lots of different textures. We love: pickles, lettuce, sliced onion, sprouts, cucumber and salsa - although not all at once!
Course Main Dishes
Keyword Vegetarian
Servings 8patties, 4” wide
Calories 186kcal
Author Aimee
Ingredients
1smallonionchopped
1/2red pepperchopped
1Tablespoonolive oil
2clovesgarlic
1/4cupfresh cilantro leaves
2jalapenosoptional, seeded
1/2teaspoonground cumin
1canblack beansdrained and rinsed
1 1/2cupcooked green lentilsI used canned
1 1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonpepper
2eggs
1cupbread crumbs
Instructions
Open cans of black beans and brown or green lentils, rinse them well with cold water, and drain them in a small sieve.
Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan. Roughly chop onion and red pepper; peel garlic. Sauté vegetables in the oil until they have softened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pulse the sautéed onion, pepper, garlic in a food processor, along with the fresh cilantro and optional jalepeno, until finely chopped. Add the beans and lentils and process until pasty. If your food processor is a bit weak, you may want to tackle this in two batches. (I only have a mini food processor, but I did it in three batches and was fine.)
When mostly smooth, add salt, pepper, and the eggs. Process until combined and then add 3/4 of cup of bread crumbs and process briefly until incorporated. Give a little stir around the very center for anything your blade may have missed. If your food processor is on the small side, you may wish to remove the legume/vegetable mixture to a bowl and simply stir in the rest of the ingredients. (this is what I did!)
Add more bread crumbs bit by bit until the mixture starts sticking together. It is now ready to form patties.
Put some flour in a salad bowl to use in flouring your hands and the outside of the patties. Form 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick patties. The patties might seem a little fragile, but you don't want them too stiff or they might dry out and get crumbly once cooked.
Cook in a well-greased skillet over medium to medium-high heat, or an indoor grill, for about 5-8 minutes on each side, turning at least once for even doneness. You can add oil in between sides, especially if you want a nice even browning look, or if you're using a cast iron skillet.
Serve between two buns with an assortment of condiments and favourite toppings. Keep with the Mexican theme and offer fresh peppers, pickled jalapenos, avocado slices and salsa.
Notes
Recipe Adapted from The Everything Beans Book by Katie KimballIn the photo below, the bean burgers look dry, but let me assure you, they were not. They got nicely crunchy on the outside, but the interior stayed soft.Freezer Tip: Patties can be layered between parchment paper in an airtight container and frozen for up to 6 weeks. To use: thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then grill or fry as usual.