Black Bean Burgers

These plant-based burgers are super simple to cook. They make a fun lunch and taste great at room temperature. To save time and energy, double the recipe, which will give you both a quick weeknight meal and leftovers for lunch. 

Yields 4 burgers         Prep time: 20 minutes                       Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons safflower or avocado oil, divided
1 small carrot, cut finely into 1/8 inch dice
1 small stalk celery, cut finely into 1/8 inch dice
1/2 cup finely diced shiitake mushrooms (about 2 ounces)
1 tablespoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs
4 burger buns
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced

Procedure 

1.  Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron (or non-stick) skillet, and add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.

2.  Add mushrooms, tamari, cumin, paprika and garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

3.  Place black beans in a bowl and mash well with a potato masher or fork. They should still have a coarse texture but come together in a sticky ball.

4.  Combine veggies, salt, and breadcrumbs with beans. Mix well.

5.  Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into burgers.

6.  At this point, you can cook them one of two ways:

• Brush them well with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and bake them at 425 for 8 minutes.

• Or, to make them on the stovetop, heat remaining oil over medium flame in cast iron pan. Add burgers and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Take care when flipping—they are more likely than meat burgers to crumble apart. 

7. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, and condiments or other fixins of choice.

For Babies: The burgers are good recipe for babies 12 months and up, or those who can eat small pieces of soft solids. Make sure the veggies are very finely cut so they are not choking hazards. The burger mashes up easily.