Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

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I had such luck making Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers the other week, that I decided to try a new variation with black beans. The base is a mixture of black beans and quinoa, spiked with spinach, red bell pepper, carrots, onions, garlic, cilantro, and spices.

The healthy mixture is high in protein thanks to the beans and quinoa. Black beans are also high in fiber, support good colon health, help regulate blood sugar, and are full of phytonutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. In my book, the more legumes you eat, the better.

These veggie burgers are great served plain, topped with pico de gallo, or served on whole wheat buns spread with guacamole. Play around with them—you won't be disappointed.

Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes about 6-8 patties
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Vegetarian; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded 
1 carrot, peeled 
1 small onion, peeled 
1 cup fresh spinach, tightly packed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
1 egg white 
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour for dusting
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the black beans, bell pepper, carrot, onion, spinach, garlic, and cilantro in a food processor. Process until combined. Transfer the veggie mixture to a mixing bowl. Fold in the quinoa, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice, stirring until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lastly, add the egg white to the mixture (this will help bind it all together).

3. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet that can transfer to the oven, heat the remaining grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Using your hands, shape the mixture into individual patties. Dust each one with flour. Place the burgers in the pan and cook until nicely browned (about two minutes). Carefully flip the patties.

4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another ten to fifteen minutes, until the patties are nicely browned on the bottom and cooked through.

5. Remove from the oven and serve with or without buns. Enjoy!

Advance Preparation: The patties can be shaped up to 3 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to brown them. They can also be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or on the stovetop.