Indian Spiced Black Bean Burgers

I like making at least 2-3 vegetarian dinners every week and one of our favorite meals is homemade veggie burgers.  I've made many different variations of these burgers but they all have one thing in common:  they are filling, satisfying and super flavorful.

While these "burgers" are really delicious and can be eaten on a roll with the usual burger toppings, one claim I won't make is that they taste like real hamburgers.  They don't.  They're not meat, and I don't like to think of them as a meat-substitute!  If you go into it thinking you're going to eat something that tastes like beef, you will probably be disappointed, despite the fact that they are their own wonderful kind of food.

Brian and I loved the smokey cumin and the savory curry flavor.  We topped two of the burgers with Monterrey Jack cheese which was really tasty, but I think some crumbled Feta would be even better.  We didn't have burger rolls so we decided to eat them on top of a salad but these would also be great served up "Protein-Style".  We ate some coleslaw on the side but it would also be a nice twist to serve the coleslaw on top of the burger.  Options, lots of options.

They are also really delicious the second day as leftovers.  I just microwaved it for a minute and then topped it with a dollop of Sabra Spinach & Artichoke Hummus.  Another great topping for these burgers is plain Greek yogurt or homemade Tzatziki sauce.

The burgers themselves are vegetarian and vegan as well as gluten-free if you make sure to use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Indian Spiced Black Bean Burgers
makes 4 burgers
adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

1/2 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3 large cloves of garlic
2 cups cooked black beans (or you can use 1 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats (make sure to use certified gluten-free if intolerant)
1/2 cup frozen corn (or about 1 ear corn, stripped from the husk)
1 green onion, sliced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
scant 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (or substitute gluten-free bread crumbs)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon (or a little more) extra virgin olive oil

For serving (optional):  cheese, cole slaw, whole wheat burger rolls, greek yogurt, Tzatziki sauce, hummus, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, BBQ sauce, onion, etc.

Place onion, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor and pulse 6-8 times, until finely chopped.  Add beans, oats, corn, green onion, cumin, curry and cayenne.  Season with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more or less, to taste) and pulse 8 times.  Scrape down the sides and pulse again 5-8 times, depending on desired texture.

Place bean mixture into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Remove chilled mixture and stir in breadcrumbs, adjust seasoning.  Form mixture into 4 equal size patties.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet (there should be enough to thinly coat the pan, you may need a little more than 1 tablespoon depending on the size of your pan).  Cook the burgers for 5-7 minutes per side, turning once, until crusty and golden on both sides.  Add the cheese, if using, after you've flipped the burgers to cook on the second side, and cook for the last 3-4 minutes in order to melt.

To serve, top as desired and serve on the burger buns or in between two pieces of lettuce.

Note:  These burgers can also be frozen.  Just combine all ingredients as above (including the breadcrumbs).  Form the mixture into 4 equal patties and wrap each individually in plastic wrap.  Place the wrapped patties into a freezer-safe ziploc bag and store in the freezer.  When you're ready to cook them, thaw in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for an hour or two until thawed.  If they're still a little frozen in the middle, just cook them for an additional few minutes per side, covered with the pan lid.