I adore a good veggie burger. However, I have the hardest time making them. There comes a day at least once a year when I get completely energized by the idea of crafting my own, and then half an hour later I remember why it's been a year since my last attempt.
Granted, they always taste pretty good, but it's so hard to make them stick together like good burgers should. The photos in my cook book look perfect and uniformly grilled and delicious, resting on a toasted bun, but when I attempt the same recipe, I end up with stir fry.
This particular bean burger recipe started out as another failed attempt at the perfect patty, but once I cheated and dumped a bunch of flour in the recipe, I actually managed to turn out a burger that held together. Success!
{bean burgers}
1 can black beans
2 cups mixed veggies
1 egg
Flour, as needed
Spices, to taste
Vegetable oil
First chop up a good mixture of fresh vegetables of your liking. I used red and green peppers, zucchini, and red onion.
Saute vegetables in a small amount of vegetable oil on medium heat.
In the meantime, drain can of beans and dump into a food processor or blender. Add the egg. When the vegetables are done sauteing, add them to the blender and blend away.
By this point you probably have a nice black-and-blue-looking mixture that doesn't look at all appetizing. Gross, right? Trust me, it gets better. Add any spices you'd like (the burgers tend to be bland without them) and enough flour so that the mixture isn't too runny.
Using a ladle, spoon dollops of the vegetable bean mixture onto your hot saucepan in a little oil. Let it get good and cooked on one side before attempting to flip it over, otherwise your burger will break apart (trust me). The more flour you added, the easier it is to flip them.
Cook both sides until slightly charred. Put on a bun with all your favorite accessories and enjoy! (By the way, these burgers go great with my baked french fries!)
