Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

I've been trying different homemade veggie burger recipes, and so far my family likes this one from Vegetarian Times as the best.  I tweaked it a bit, adding panko crumbs for more body/firmness.

You can make patties ahead of time and freeze to have on hand as needed, or bake them, then freeze to reheat quickly if needed.

We're not vegetarians, but sometimes a guest or two are, and these burgers are handy to have on hand for them.  We also like them when dieting to cut calories and replace beef with a good protein that is satisfying.

Serve with your regular burger condiments and garnishes like lettuce, onions, cheese, tomatoes etc.

I keep bags of dried black beans on hand and prepare them in my pressure cooker, then freeze for use in recipes, (salads, Taco soup etc.) or they can be cooked on the stove. Dried beans are more cost effective than purchasing cans and when cooked in a pressure cooker are ready within a 1/2 hour.

Quinoa, a protein, can be cooked ahead of time, too, then stored in the refrigerator for use in these burgers, used as a rice substitute in recipes, or used for salads or other side dishes.


Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup diced onions
1/4 cup of drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1, 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tsps. minced garlic
1 Tab. steak seasoning rub or herb/spice mixture of choice
8 hamburger buns

Boil and simmer the quinoa according package directions until all liquid is absorbed. Cool and set aside. (Usually a 1/2 cup dried to 1 -1/2 cups of water)

Cook onion and sun-dried tomatoes on medium high heat, until onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, steak seasoning, half of the black beans, and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Transfer bean-onion mixture to a food processor, add half of the cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in remaining quinoa, panko crumbs, egg and remaining black beans. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and spray a baking sheet. Shape mixture into 8 patties and place on baking sheet. Freeze for later use or cook what you need and freeze the rest.

Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and browned.

Or oil a fry pan and cook 5 minutes each side until crispy. Serve on buns with favorite fixings. Serves 8.

Estimated cost without buns: $3.20 or less; .40 cents a burger.

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