Health problems, questionable practices in the meat industry and the environmental effects of factory farming are pushing more and more people to a plant-based diet. As a result, meat-free burgers have become a very popular meal option.
Plus, there are people like me who LOVE the taste and health benefits of black beans and try to incorporate them into their diet however they can. Enter my easy peasy black bean burger recipe…
But first, why are black beans healthy?
- They are loaded with fiber, protein and important nutrients like vitamin A, calcium, iron, calcium and manganese.
- They help prevent cancer due to their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are flavonoids that function as antioxidants to fight disease and free radicals in the body. The anthocyanins found in black beans can effectively inhibit blood vessel flow to cancerous tumors, which slows the growth of cancerous cells and increases their speed of apoptosis (cell death).
- They are great for treating digestive issues, because they contain high levels of protein and fiber that help food move through the digestive tract. This allows you to eliminate waste from your body in a healthy way. Plus, black beans are digested slower than animal protein (meat), so eating beans can leave you feeling satisfied for longer.
There are many pre-packaged black bean burgers out on the market, many of which are loaded with a ton of sodium and a long list of ingredients that are far from healthy. To make sure you’re eating a nutritious and natural black bean burger, I recommend making your own.
Here’s a super simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients that you’ll want to have in your kitchen anyway. SCORE!
THE RECIPE
One of the awesome things about this recipe is that you can totally make it your own! There are just 4 must-have ingredients that will create the “base” for your burgers, and then you customize the rest based on your liking.
~ Makes 16 Medium-Size Burgers ~
Base Ingredients:
- 3.5 cups of cooked organic black beans OR two 15-ounce cans of organic black beans, drained & rinsed (Make sure the can is BPA-free and there is no or low added salt.)
- 1 cup of quinoa, cooked and cooled
- 1/3 cup of cassava flour
- 1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons of water
- Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste
Add-Ins:
Beyond the base ingredients, you can customize the burgers by adding organic veggies and additional seasonings of your choice. Here are some of the goodies I add to mine to bulk and spice them up:
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 large handful of spinach, diced
- 5 large mushrooms, diced
- 1/2 cup of peas
- 1/2 cup of yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
Preparation:
- In a small bowl, prepare the flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Put the bowl aside and allow it to set for at least 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F and line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper. (I highly recommend investing in stainless steel baking sheets like these to avoid the neurotoxins found in aluminum, which is what many baking sheets are made of.)
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the black beans.
- Add the spices to the mashed black beans and mix well.
- Add the remaining ingredients (flax egg, quinoa and veggies) to the bean mixture and blend them well using your hands.
- Form the mixture into patties and place them on the lined baking sheets.
- Place the burgers in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the beans look fully browned.
- Allow the burgers to cool completely (at least 10 minutes) so they don’t fall apart, then ENJOY!
These black bean burgers are so hearty and delicious that you don’t even need a bun to enjoy them! They do, however, taste amazing served over a bed of romaine lettuce, arugula or zoodles (zucchini noodles)!
You can top them off with your favorite veggie combo like lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado…and condiments like organic ketchup, mustard and hot sauce. For me, it’s also a requirement to add an organic pickle on the side. 🙂
Cheers to enjoying black bean burgers that are 100% natural and delicious!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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