Hearty Veggie Burgers (Printer-friendly)
Hearty vegetable and bean patties seasoned with smoked paprika and cumin, pan-fried to golden perfection.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 cup grated carrots
02 - 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
03 - 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
04 - 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
→ Legumes
05 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
→ Binders
06 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
07 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
08 - 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tbsp water)
→ Seasonings
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
11 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Cooking and Serving
15 - 2 tbsp olive oil
16 - 4 burger buns
17 - Lettuce leaves, tomato slices, pickles, ketchup, or toppings of choice
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, mash the drained black beans with a fork or potato masher until coarsely broken down but not fully pureed. Some texture should remain for a hearty bite.
02 - Add the grated carrots, chopped mushrooms, diced red onion, corn kernels, minced garlic, parsley, rolled oats, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the beans.
03 - Add the egg (or prepared flax egg) to the bowl and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together when pressed.
04 - Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each into a burger patty approximately 1 inch thick. Ensure edges are slightly smoothed to prevent crumbling during cooking.
05 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the patties in the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
06 - Toast the burger buns in the skillet or under a broiler until lightly golden on the cut sides.
07 - Layer each bottom bun with a lettuce leaf, a cooked patty, tomato slices, pickles, and your preferred condiments. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The smoky cumin and paprika combo makes these taste like they came off a backyard grill even when cooked on your stovetop.
- They hold together beautifully without feeling dense, which is a trick that took me dozens of attempts to finally nail.
02 -
- Do not skip chilling the patties for thirty minutes if you plan to grill them instead of pan frying because they will fall apart on the grates otherwise.
- The mixture will seem too wet when you first mix it but the oats and breadcrumbs need about ten minutes to absorb the moisture so be patient before adding more dry ingredients.
03 -
- Wet your hands slightly before shaping the patties and the mixture will not stick to your fingers nearly as much.
- Let the cooked patties rest for two minutes off the heat before serving because they firm up as they cool slightly.