quinoa & black bean burger with a smoky avocado spread
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 1:44PM
I've always wanted to like veggie burgers, but I have yet to find one that really "wows" me.
I am usually left feeling unsatisfied, like I cheated myself out of something better. And the meat burger is over there laughing at me saying "See! I am better, and you know it!".
However, the black bean and quinoa burger falls in a totally different category. It is not a veggie burger because it is not made of veggies. It has the same amount of protein as a meat burger, but it has no meat. It's unique, satisfying, and it's not trying to be something that it is not. And I can even get my smoked flavor fix on with the addition of the smoky avocado spread. So there meat burger.
quinoa & black bean burger with a smoky avocado spread
Prep Time / Cook Time
20 minutes / 25 minutes for the beans & quinoa to cook + 10 minutes to cook the patties
Makes
5-6 burgers
Ingredients
For the black bean and quinoa burgers:
2 cups of cooked quinoa
2 cups of black beans (Canned is fine as long as it is organic, no sodium. If you're using dried, rinse your beans and soak them overnight and drain when ready to use.)
1.5 cups of organic low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
olive oil
*toasted whole grain buns or bread for serving
For the smoky avocado spread:
1 ripe avocado
1 plum tomato, seeds removed and diced.
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional)
salt & pepper
Directions
- While you are cooking your quinoa, combine the black beans, turmeric, cumin, and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover partially, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Drain the beans.
- In a large bowl combine the beans, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the ingredients are well combined (mashed), add in the quinoa and combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Form the mixture into patties. Depending on how big or small you make them, you should get around 5-7 patties. Transfer the patties to a plate, cover and refrigerate while you are preparing your avocado spread or until you are ready to use (they will keep for about 3-4 days).
- For the avocado spread: In a bowl, mash the avocado until it is smooth. Add in the tomato, smoked paprika, red pepper (if using), season with salt and pepper and combine.
- In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cakes (maybe 3-4 at a time depending on the size of your pan) turning over once it has browned (about 5-7 minutes per side).
- Serve immediately on a toasted bun, or bread with the avocado spread.
Enjoy.
Reader Comments (9)
I made these last night (see: http://jewelskitchen.tumblr.com/post/11354069269/quinoa-and-black-bean-burgers-on-toasted-wheat-buns) and we will def. have them again. They were so filling and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
That is great!! SO happy you had a chance to make them, and enjoyed. Thanks Jewels!
How do you keep them from falling apart? Mine tasted great but fell apart :(
To keep bean burgers from falling apart, put them on the grill frozen (or even partially frozen). Makes all the difference.
What is the nutritional content of the burgers and avocado spread?
Tied these last night. They tasted ok, I wish they had a little more complex flavor; im from Texas so I like a little kick, but over all a good meal. My only real complaint is that they did not stay together at all. Maybe adding egg or bread crumbs would help. Ill have to try freezing them first and seeing if that helps!
Hi Angela,
Thanks for your comments - I find them very helpful. As for the flavor - feel free to kick this up however you like! Maybe next time add your favorite spices instead of, or in addition to, the spices I used. Maybe some chili powder, or red pepper flakes.
As far as the eggs & bread crumbs, I was trying to keep this a vegan recipe, but I'm all for using eggs and breadcrumbs for binding. That would probably do the trick. Freezing does work as well. I am going to adjust the directions and add a few tips based on your suggestions.
Thanks!
Jodi
While I can't say I followed your recipe exactly, I can say that these burgers turned out delicious! I have been looking for a good vegetarian burger recipe for a while and I'm so glad I found this blog post (on pinterest). I used black quinoa because I had some on hand and I thought it'd look more burger-y. I cooked 2 cans of black beans with a black bean seasoning packet and added a bit of garlic and cumin. When they were done cooking, I measured 2 cups and strained out as much of the extra sauce as possible. I added a bit of seasoning to the cooked quinoa: cumin, chili powder, cayenne and some red pepper flakes. I mixed the 2c quinoa with 2 cups black beans and mashed. The patties didn't hold well, but it still tasted amazing. I actually got 9 patties out of the mixture. I froze the leftovers and made one of the frozen patties today and it did held together a bit better. My boyfriend and I loved these and I'll DEFINITELY be making them again. Thanks so much!
These were great! I added a couple chopped up chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the beans as they were cooking to add some flavor and a bit of a kick, and they stayed together pretty well because I added an egg to the mixture and froze them before cooking [made it vegetarian rather than vegan, but that's ok - I topped them with sour cream anyway :) ] Great idea and great recipe!