Loaded Black Bean Veggie Burgers (Vegan)

In talking to our families, we got wind that they are suppose to have a high in the 80's today in Nebraska. In March! Enjoy your day guys. You'll be in our ballpark today :)

Warm temperatures make me think of summer, and what is the quintessential summer meal? Burgers! To keep with my meatless, seafoodless theme, you may have guessed that these are veggie burgers. Neither of us are vegetarians, however I do occasionally like a veggie burger over a traditional beef burger. Nothing wrong with either one, just really depends on what kind of mood I am in.

One of my pet-peeves about homemade veggie burgers is that mushy middle. If you have tried to make bean veggie patties at home, you probably know what I mean. I've tried a couple recipes in the past that weren't even close to making the blog, and there was an incident once involving soggy veggie burgers and the grill. Don't want to talk about that one. While it has been awhile since she posted it, I only recently ran across this recipe from Angie of Oh She Glows. The recipe is actually vegan, using ground flaxseed + water as a replacement for eggs. Angie claims that this is "their perfect veggie burger." As I said in my lasagna post, I hesitate to call anything "the best," but these burgers are dang good. We both took them for lunch every day until they were gone, and I can tell you that I missed them the first day I didn't have one. Definitely a do again, and that is saying something in the world of a food blogger :)

(Printable Recipe)

Loaded Black Bean Veggie Burgers
From Oh She Glows (Originally inspired by Whitewater Cooks)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed + 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup oats, processed into flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup black beans (I used canned beans and measured 1 cup)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
black pepper to taste

Add almonds and sunflower seeds to a small skillet. Toast over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Mix the flaxseed and water together in a small bowl. Let set for 10 minutes. 

Mash the beans with a for until no large pieces remain. Place the beans and the remaining ingredients up through the spices and salt (including your nuts) in a large bowl and mix well. Add the seasonings, including salt, and taste. Adjust if necessary. I had to add a little bit more water to my dough at this point to get it to come together (maybe 1-2 Tbsp). Add just a little at a time until the dough will hold its shape when pressed together.

Wet hands and firmly press dough together into patties. Burgers can be pan-fried in a small amount of olive oil on the stove for 4-5 minutes per side, baked at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes (flip at about 15 minutes), or grilled. If grilling, Angie recommends pre-baking the burgers for about 15 minutes. Serve on buns with desired toppings.