Homemade Black Bean Burgers ♥ Recipe

Today's recipe: Quick and easy black bean burgers, made at home with easy pantry ingredients. You can even freeze your own!

For years, I have forsworn veggie burgers. (Ewww, the salty-slimy 'Garden' Burger? To my taste, more like a compost heap.) No more, no more!! I've been missing out, completely, because -- yay, rah! -- we can make homemade black bean burgers.

And it's easy! And cheap! And -- this is the crucial test -- they taste great! And they pull together in a flash. And better than THAT? They freeze! Next time I'll make up a big batch, vacuum pack them with the FoodSaver, to have on hand, pronto, for a quick lunch or light supper.

PS To the punctuation police blinking in disbelief about all the exclamation points? Try one of these black bean burgers, you'll be backflipping too. (!!!!)

RECIPE for HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN BURGERS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onion, roughly chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped poblano pepper (I used 2 rings of Pickled Jalapeño Rings)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup toasted whole-grain bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmery. Stir in the green onion, peppers and garlic and cook until just beginning to turn brown. Transfer to a food processor. Add the cilantro and process until roughly chopped, several pulses. Add the beans and pulse five or six times, so beans are broken up but still in small chunks. (You don't want to overprocess, you're not aiming for a black bean paste.) Transfer to a large bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Form into four patties.

In the same large skillet, heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil until shimmery. Gently add the patties, cook each side until browned, about 5 minutes total.

FREEZING TIPS If freezing, from into patties and let patties chill thoroughly, then transfer to freezer bags or vacuum pack in a FoodSaver. For better results, thaw before frying, just drop the freezer bag into a dish of cold water for 15 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Burger: 230Cal; 9g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 52mg Cholesterol; 449mg Sodium; 28g Carb; 7g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 10g Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points (technically 4.5 points)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Fine Cooking, July 2008

KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe says to let the mixture refrigerate for 30 minutes - 4 hours before frying. I cooked two right away, another two an hour later. No difference.
The inspiring recipe says these burgers are too delicate for cooking on a grill. I would think you could get away with it, so long as a cooking basket is used, not the standard grill.
Note to Vegetarians

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MORE FAVORITE DRIED BEAN RECIPES
~ 15-Bean Soup ~
~ Chard & Chickpeas with Feta ~
~ Chicka Chicka Chickpea Lunch ~

~ more dried bean recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

FOR THOSE WHO EAT MEAT
~ Spinach Burgers ~

from Kitchen Parade, my food column
~ Green Chile Burgers ~

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