Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Lately I have been trying to incorporate more quinoa in my family’s diet. For those that are unfamiliar with quinoa, it is a tiny starchy seed that is rich in protein, iron, potassium and fibre. It is so versatile and can be easily replace a grain and can be incorporated into many recipes.

My latest culinary creations is the black bean and quinoa veggie burger. I have been working on this recipe for myself, my mom who recently has become a vegetarian, and for all the vegetarians out there, especially now that BBQ season is here. I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical as to how good a quinoa and bean burger could actually taste and it took a few tries to get the recipe just right, but I am quite happy with the end result. You might be wondering why I go to the trouble of making a veggie burger when they are readily available at every grocery store. The reason I avoid buying veggie burgers is for the mere face that they contain textured soy protein. You can read why I avoid textured soy protein HERE. Although veggie burgers with textured soy protein are quite delicious, bean burgers are definitely more healthier.

Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers RECIPE

Makes: 6 regular-size burgers

Ingredients:

• 19oz can of black beans (I used Ives Veggie Organic Black beans)
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa (I used black and golden quinoa)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes
• 8 oz. mushrooms, roasted until dry and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup  red pepper, minced
• 3 Tbsps. yellow onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 tsps. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. red chilli flakes or cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsps. parsley or cilantro, chopped
• salt to taste
• Optional: 1 egg or egg replacer ( I Tbsp. ground flax seed or chia seeds plus 3 Tbsps. water)

Instructions:

1. Rinse the black beans, pat dry, and then mash them leaving some whole for better texture.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Form into 6 patties of about half inch thickness.
4. Freeze in between sheets of square wax paper until ready to use, OR
5. Cook by pan frying with a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for three minutes on each side or bake in the oven.

The burger tastes great in a whole-wheat bun with all your favourite toppings and condiments or on top of a garden salad. Surprisingly even my picky little children gave this burger a try and enjoyed it. My meat-loving husband was pleasantly surprised as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

If you still prefer to buy your veggie burgers, check out my older article,  Veggie Burger.

NOTE:

• Cook 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water, covered on medium-low heat until soft and translucent (about 15min). I used about a third cup of raw quinoa to get about 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa used in the recipe.
• Remember to squeeze out the water out of the mushrooms and red pepper to prevent the burgers from turining out mushy or falling apart.
• These burgers are great on the grill too, especially if the burgers are frozen which prevents them from falling apart.
• If using canned beans, remember that salt might already be added to the beans. Take that into account before adding salt to the burger mixture.
• Don’t like black beans? Try kidney beans instead. A mixture of both tastes awesome!

If you liked this recipe, you might also like my Chickpea Burger Recipe.