Black Bean Burgers

I have been searching for a good homemade veggie burger.  I really like the one Dave makes for me, but I couldn't duplicate it at home.  After a couple bad tries of a few different recipes, I decided to refocus my efforts on black bean burgers.  That's what I eat from Morningstar anyway, may as well have one that's just as easy to make myself.  This is it.  Well, it's not as easy as unwrapping a frozen patty and popping it in a skillet for a few minutes, but it comes close.



Black Bean Burgers

Makes 6

directly from My Recipes.com 

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

2 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

 

The link to the recipe I've provided above pairs this burgers with a mango salsa.  We've done that once and it was ok.  I've also topped it with sliced avocado and some sour cream mixed with hot sauce.  Plain ol' ketchup is another topping option.  Last night we topped it with a green tomato relish/salsa* that tasted really good.  I served it with corn on the cob and homemade tortilla chips. 
 
One thing we want to experiment with is putting these burgers on the grill.  It's not much fun to have a summer burger and have to cook it in the oven.  We think we can probably do it in those little aluminum pans, but haven't tried yet.  I'll keep you posted on that when we get around to trying it.
 
*I made and canned the green tomato relish last year after a July storm knocked over our tomato plants full of unripe tomatoes.  I'm sure I'll have some green tomato recipes to share with you later this summer.  Anyone ever had green tomato pie?