Have Black Beans in Your Pantry? Put This Veggie Burger on Your To-Do List

If your idea of veggie burgers is a dry, bland patty, we’ve got the recipe you need.

As a certified holistic nutritionist, I’m always looking for ways to help women eat healthier, while maximizing their enjoyment of the food they’re eating. This grain-free veggie burger hits both notes. It serves up 10 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein. It’s a perfect option for Meatless Monday, and a quick freeze and heat for women on the go who need a meal in minutes. (I’d highly recommend making a double batch and freezing the leftovers!)

Roasted Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Makes 4 servings

1 T avocado oil
1 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1½ tsp smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
½ yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T unsweetened organic ketchup
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup flax meal
2 cups packed spinach
2 flax eggs* (*For each egg, mix 1 T ground flaxseeds with 3 T water; let the mixture sit in the refrigerator until thickened, about 15 minutes.)
8 romaine, butter, or red-leaf lettuce cups
Toppings of choice: avocado, tomato, grilled onion, fresh thinly sliced red onion, sautéed sliced mushrooms, fried egg.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk avocado oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic. Add mushrooms, carrot, green pepper, and onion; toss to coat. Spread seasoned vegetables on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes (flipping at 10 minutes) until caramelized.
3. Meanwhile, spread beans on a separate baking sheet and roast next to vegetables for 10 minutes, until they’re dried out a bit (some will split open).
4. In a food processor, pulse roasted vegetables with ketchup, walnuts, flax meal, and spinach. Take care not to overprocess; you want the veggies in tiny chunks about the size of bread crumbs.
5. In a large bowl, combine the roasted beans, flax eggs, and vegetable-nut mix and hand-mix gently but thoroughly. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
6. In a large skillet pan-fry the patties over medium heat for 4 minutes per side.
7. Wrap each veggie burger in lettuce leaf cups and add choice of toppings. (You could also serve them over a salad or grain bowl, or with a side of roasted root vegetables.)

From BODY LOVE EVERY DAY: Choose Your Life-Changing 21-Day Path to Food Freedom (2019) by Kelly LeVeque. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.