When I first became a Vegan, one of my major concerns was that I would never again taste a hamburger. My initial experience with veggie burgers was when I was probably around 12; my step-mother, sister-in-law and I were at a semi-popular diner in Corpus Christi, Texas. My sister-in-law was a vegetarian and hadn’t finished her dinner, so being the little glutton for food that I am, I asked for her leftovers. Oh boy! I didn’t realize just how bad veggie burgers could be! To this day I can see why so many meat-eaters have snubbed their nose at veggie burgers, if they grew up seeing vegetarians eat things like that.

In this house we’ve eaten many kinds of frozen veggie burgers: Morningstar Farms, Boca, Gardenburger. All of these, while great when you’re in a pinch and need food quickly, leave a kind of soy-heartburn aftertaste. I don’t know what it is about these frozen patties, but I’m aware of at least a handful of people who can’t- or won’t- eat them because of this. If you were trying to introduce a meat-eater to vegetarian cuisine, I would definitely not recommend the frozen burger patties.

Since then I have dabbled in quite a few recipes. Some called for many ingredients, some called for only a few. I have tried tofu, seitan, and corn-based burgers, and yes, even a few black bean. I’d almost given up hope, and while the actual flavor of meat disgusts me, I’d wondered; would I forever be lost to the taste and texture of a hamburger? It suddenly occurred to me the one thing that I hadn’t tried yet – creating my own recipe. After a few days of researching what seemed to be the best recipes on the internet for Vegan burgers, a base was chosen – black beans. In the pictures and from what I read of people’s comments on them, they had the best color and texture for the job. Presentation is everything in some dishes. I wouldn’t want to eat a yellow hamburger, after all. Some recipes were toyed with, altered, and all around violated until I found the right combination of ingredients for what I will shamelessly proclaim to be the BEST Vegan Black Bean Burger recipe in the world.

Yes. The WORLD.

Well, perhaps not the world, but I know you will be pleased; I have yet to hear a complaint on these scrumptious patties.

Some black bean factoids I thought I might share: Did you know that if you combine black beans with rice, you achieve a complete protein source, including all essential amino acids? They are very high in cholesterol-lowering fiber, and although most Vegans don’t seem to have to worry about their cholesterol or heart attacks, fiber is something all of us could get a little more of in our diets. They are an excellent source of Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Folate, and a good source of Zinc, Thiamine and Niacin. They prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after meals, which make it a good choice for diabetics and those with insulin resistance. They are often proclaimed to be one of the world’s healthiest foods.

I could go on and on about black beans, if you do a little research you will see, it would take me pages and pages to tell you everything there is to know about them, but, I know we’re all hungry – tonight I’ll be making these myself – so let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients:

*3 16 oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
*1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
*2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, washed and chopped finely    
*2 cloves of garlic, minced
*1/4 cup dried cilantro
*3/4 cup salsa (medium or hot)
*1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/3 cup flour
*1/3 cup cornmeal
*1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs
*vegetable oil for frying
*A few dashes of each: Chili powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, poultry seasoning. I normally generously season the mixture with these before making patties. This is optional, but recommended.


Supplies:
*Skillet
*Cutting Board
*Knife, Spatula, Wooden Spoon
*Large Mixing Bowl, Plate, Paper Towels


Directions:

With your hands, mash and squeeze beans in a large mixing bowl until they resemble mush, but are still coarse. Combine the rest of the ingredients with the beans and mix thoroughly. Here is where I like to add all of those ‘optional’ spices. They really give to the flavor and scent of this food, but if you don’t want to, they taste fine without it. If your mixture is too wet, add a little more flour and cornmeal. If too dry, add more salsa.

Shape into patties, keeping in mind that these burgers don’t shrink like meat. I like to put a ball of it into my hand, flatten it out and take off whatever falls outside the range of my palm. If your mixture is too wet, you can add a little more flour and/or cornmeal to keep it together.

Fry patties in a little vegetable oil on medium heat, flipping once. You can use an iron or non-stick skillet, either has worked for me, but I have never cooked them on stainless steel. Drain on a paper towel.

These are great with Vegan whole grain wheat bread and Vegenaise.

Serves: 6 to 8

Cheers and Happy Eating!
Amber Finch