Black Bean Burger

So it's been about 110 degrees here for what seems like forever. Ok, that's not really true, but it has been in the 90s and suuuuper humid every day for at least 2 or 3 weeks. Yep. It's summer.


What food says summer more than a burger? Nothing, that's what. Although I do love a good ground beef burger, I think it's fun to experiment with different kinds of (healthier) burgers too. Like turkey burgers or veggie burgers. MMMmmm. I've been experimenting with this black bean burger recipe for a couple months. A few pearls of wisdom I can offer you with this recipe: 

1. Don't chop your veggies in the food processor. I know it's tempting. I thought it would be a great idea. I mean I hate chopping onions, I have the food processor out anyway, why not? Well it chops effectively  , but produces too much juice. Wet burgers that fall apart=not good.
2. Make your own bread crumbs. Healthier and super easy. Toast 2-3 pieces of bread. Break them into chunks, throw them in the food processor with some salt and pepper and pulse until you get finely ground crumbs. Measure out what you need, store the rest in an airtight container for your next bread crumb recipe. I mean, you're going to use the food processor anyway.
3. Make your own buns. Use this recipe and instead of baking 1/4 of the dough as a loaf, pull off and bake 1/12 of the dough per bun. Seriously. Just do it.


So anyway, here is a black bean burger that we've come to LOVE around here. Delish and easy. You could even chop the veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge to expedite the process.

What you need
1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 c. cooked, black beans)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 egg
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

What you do
Mash beans or pulse in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir veggies in. Add egg and stir until combined. Stir in the bread crumbs and spices. Form into 4 patties. Cook for 8 minutes on each side on the stove or bake 20 minutes (flipping at 10) at 375.