Meatless Monday: Black Bean and Veggie Burgers

January 30, 2012

Black bean and veggie burgers are comfort food gone healthy. The veggie patties are packed with nutrition from the blend of black beans, red pepper, carrots, celery, and salsa. Their flavor is anything but boring. Serve these burgers with the spicy and sweet corn salsa (recipe below), avocado, and chipotle cream (a blend of chipotle peppers and mayonnaise). With black bean and veggie burgers, eating healthy never tasted so good.

Black Bean and Veggie Burger with Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

Burgers:

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 can black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed

1 cup salsa

1/4 cup oatmeal (I used a bit more)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (more or less to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

Nonstick cooking spray

For the Corn Salsa:

2 cups canned corn

1/2-1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

3 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

Juice of one lime

1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

1 teaspoon ground red pepper (more or less to taste)

Directions:

Mix all the salsa ingredients together and chill for about an hour before serving.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spray two baking sheets lightly with the nonstick spray and set aside.

Add the carrot to a bowl with a little water, cover it and microwave for about two minutes. Once cooled, mash them and add them to the mashed black beans. Mix together then add the remaining vegetables and mix well.

Add the oatmeal, breadcrumbs, seasoning and salsa. Mix together until combined. Add the flour and mix well. If the mixture is too moist, add more flour and adjust the seasoning, as needed.

Form the mixture into patties and place them on the baking sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. When the burgers are finished, serve with the Corn Salsa or your favorite topping.