Marvelous Meatless BurgerSpicy Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole and Cilantro Slaw

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With meatless burgers becoming more and more popular, I decided to try these burgers for a meatless Monday.  Although Tom is a registered meat-aholic, he was on board with my experiment, because he likes beans and also acknowledged that we should try to eat a little healthier.

This recipe from Southern Living calls for baking the beans first to dehydrate them and then refrigerating the patties before cooking so they don’t crumble when cooked. Sounded good to me! I followed the recipe exactly the first time and they were good, but I knew they could be better.

I am currently obsessed with Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce made with fermented crushed Calabrian chili peppers. I eat it right out of the jar and put it on everything! I buy six jars at a time as they recently ran out …. For two whole months!

                                            
In addition to the Italian Bomba, I added cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika to the bean mixture. After all that, they still weren’t that spicy but if you are worried, substitute your favorite ketchup, mayo or barbecue sauce for the hot pepper sauce.

An added bonus, these burgers can be made ahead and frozen between parchment paper in a zip-top bag. Just thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serve with your favorite guacamole and a quick slaw tossed with a creamy bottled cilantro-avocado yogurt dressing (Bolthouse Farms is great). Or top with the cheese of your choice, grilled onions, favorite condiments, more Italian Bomba, you get the picture. Yum!!

Ingredients:

2 (15 ½ oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, gently pat dry
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium orange bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce (see note above for substitutes)
2 large eggs
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup packed shredded coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Bottled cilantro avocado yogurt dressing

4 Brioche hamburger buns, toasted
Your favorite guacamole or sliced avocados

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread the rinsed and drained beans on the sheet being sure they are not clumped together otherwise they will steam rather than dry. Bake until the beans are dry and cracked, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl.

In a food processor or blender, add the eggs, panko, salt, pepper, Hot Pepper Sauce, 2 cups of the beans and 2 tablespoons of the onion mixture. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add to the bowl with the remaining onion mixture. Stir in the remaining beans until well combined. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Divide the mixture evenly into four patties about ¾-inch thick and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Just before cooking the burgers, toss the coleslaw and cilantro with the cilantro avocado yogurt dressing and make your guacamole.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until crisp and heated through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve the patties on the toasted buns with guacamole and creamy slaw.

Makes 4 burgers.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living Black Bean Burgers with Avocado Slaw