Black Bean Burgers with Fresh Guacamole

 Pies.

Jams.

Pickles.

Quick, somebody make something out of a pumpkin!

Fall is creeping up on me.


I am not a vegetarian, but I play one on TV.  Er, in the summer.  Did you know that?

I'm coming up on the end of my term of veggie purity however, and none too soon, really.

(I'm not a very responsible vegetarian, tending to rely more on grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips than lentils and beans)

These burgers were a lovely way to say sayonara until next summer.

Because the thing with ground beef is it doesn't have much taste, really.  Does it?


I mean, unless it is some good quality chuck.  Whiiiich I guess I don't use.  Ground beef scares me anyways.  Can't trust it.

Mash up your beans with some quinoa, charred onion and roasted corn.  Cumin and salt, cilantro, lime and chipotle and baby, you got it.

Some of the best burgers you've ever had.

My husband ate three, if that's any evidence (it is).

Meat season, see you soon!

Black Bean Burgers with Fresh Guacamole taken from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

For the burger patties:
1/2 c uncooked quinoa
1 small red onion, sliced 1/2 in. think, keeping the rings together
1 ear of fresh corn (or 2/3 c cooked corn)
6 cloves of garlic, very finely minced
Kosher salt
2 cans black beans (15.5 oz each), rinsed and drained
2 T tomato paste
1 large egg
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 T minced chipotles in adobo
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 c oatmeal (not instant), ground into crumbs

For the yogurt sauce:
1/2 c fat free Greek yogurt
1 t minced chipotles in adobo + ½ teaspoon adobo sauce from the can
Juice of a lime
1 T chopped cilantro
1 T honey
1/4 t salt

For the guacamole:
2 avocados
juice of half of a lime
1 clove garlic
1 t minced chipotles in adobo
1/2 t cilantro
1/2 t kosher salt, or to taste

For assembling the burgers:
salt & pepper
lettuce
6-8 whole wheat rolls

Place the quinoa in a small pot and add 1 c of water.  Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook 10-15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat a pan or grill to medium high, and grill the onion slices and ear of corn for about 10 minutes, or until softened, and there are some grill/char marks on both, flipping the onions once, and turning the corn occasionally.  Remove the corn and onion from the grill. Cut the corn from the cob and chop the onion, and set both aside.

Combine approximately 1½ cans of black beans, the onion, and garlic in a large bowl, and using a potato masher or fork, mash together until the mixture is combined and pasty.  Stir in the remaining beans, tomato paste, egg, corn, cilantro, chipotles, cumin, and salt.  Add the cooked quinoa and ground oats, and stir until evenly distributed.

Form the mixture into 6-8 equal patties, pressing the mixture together well.  Place the patties on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight.

Preheat your grill or pan to medium high, and cook on a sheet of aluminum foil for about 10 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy.

For the yogurt sauce:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and stir until well combined.  Store in the refrigerator.
 
For the guacamole:
 Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scrape the flesh into a bowl (or use a mortar & pestle of molcajete).  Squeeze the lime juice over the avocados to prevent browning.  Add the remaining ingredients, and mash together to desired consistency.  Store in the refrigerator.
 
For assembling the burgers:
  1. Place a burger on a bun, top with the yogurt sauce, guacamole, and lettuce.

6 comments:

Nancy said...

I've been wanting to try black bean burgers for a long time. Totally agree, I'm not a fan of ground beef. I admire you for sticking to the vegetarian diet all summer long, don't know if I could have lasted. Thanks for sharing and inspiring a cooking session:)

Cakebrain said...

oy. haven't had a decent hamburger in a while...because of the lack of a chewy doughy gluteny bun. Boy do I miss it. Those GF hamburger buns always seem to dissolve under the juices of the burger fillings. Black bean burgers sound intriguing...must try it one day.

Ana Regalado said...

Time flies really fast ! :D It's nearly Fall in our side of the world as well , but it's 29°C at 8 in the morning?! tsk tsk So another batch of ice cream ! :D

I haven't tried any vegetarian burgers yet and from that photos of yours , I bet it truly tastes delicious ! Let me check that new burger from Burger King first ! lol

kyleen said...

I'm definitely with you on the grilled cheese instead of lentils and beans. I tried going vegetarian for a week this summer and it... was not fun. Just exhausting. I bet these burgers definitely would have helped.

Russell at Chasing Delicious said...

Ooh. I've always wanted to try making black bean burgers! This looks great!

amlamonte said...

oo cakey i can picture that happening with the GF buns. cause rice flour, right? hmm. trouble.

haha anne! i'm jealous of the heat but maybe if i was there i would miss the cool northwest :) wish i could eat some of that ice cream!