Black Bean Burgers

Sometimes, after a weekend of splurging at parties and BBQ, its nice to start Monday with something fresh. I've had this recipe for Black Bean Burgers from Gourmet sitting around and I decided to give it a try. It's comprised mostly of pantry staples and only takes about 10 minutes! Let me tell you that the hubby sounded a little bit disappointed when I told him there wouldn't be any meat in these burgers. I even promised him that if he ate the burger he could have what was left of the tri-tip in our refrigerator, which he did, but before that he also admitted that these were pretty tasty...even if they were made of beans.

Black Bean Burgers

adapted from Gourmet.com

 

2 cans of black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided

3 tbsp of mayonnaise

1/3 c of crushed Ritz crackers

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp of salt

1/4 c. finely diced red onion

1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 slices of reduced fat cheddar or jack cheese

4 soft hamburger buns

Preheat Grill.

Combine in a food processor 1 can of beans, mayonnaise, cracker crumbs, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt until pureed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro, onion, and remaining can of beans. Mash lightly. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Brush top of patties with vegetable oil and flip oiled side onto grill, brushing the alternate side with remaining oil.  Cook about 3 minutes or until underside is crisp and lightly browned and flip, cooking an additional 3 minutes. Top with cheese and serve on buns with lettuce and tomato.

We topped ours with mayonnaise and BBQ sauce but you could also top these with salsa, sour cream, or some fresh sliced avocado.