Homemade VEGAN bean burgers recipe

So how do you get your protein?

For vegans or vegetarians this is a common question. My favorite protein thus far has been beans. Now of course it can leave you feeling bloated because it FILLS you up but its better than ridiculous snacking. IMO.

There are a ton of recipes, which I glanced at for a general idea but this was an original idea for me.

I bought a ton of dried (bagged) beans -pinto, black eyed, lima, kidney, black beans, etc-- I have a container and mixed them all together. So I truly don't know what beans I used, just that it was an assortment.

Official Recipe:

• let beans soak overnight
• next day boil the beans in your choice broth--I boiled the beans in chicken broth (gasp) but for a vegan lifestyle, you should definitely boil them in vegetable broth-- on a low-medium temperature. 
• The goal is soften up the beans. 
• Seasonings: i poured olive & sesame oil into the boil, added in curry/pepper/salt/garlic powder/onion powder/cumin into the boil 
• let the beans simmer. mine simmered for 2-3 hours. i just kept adding in more water
• Test the beans occasionally, you want them to start feeling softER
• Turn the burner off, leave the beans in the broth, and place in the fridge till the next day 

So this is where it gets complicated.......................... TRIAL & ERROR

Now remember I'm a practicing vegan so while I could have used EGG I had to use a substitute.


Flax Seed is an interesting concept. I highly encourage you to READ the instructions.

Don't follow my folly.

I have various batches of the beans.

1 batch included garri  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garri & flax seed
1 batch included yellow corn meal & flax seed
1 batch included garri, yellow corn meal, & flax seed

They all tasted fine you just have to understand the flax seed consistency ....

• In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork/spoon/ -- i didn't smash all the beans nor did I worry about them being flat
• Mix in (garri/corn meal) bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. 
• Stir the Flax seed mixture
• Divide mixture into patties.

Now again it gets a bit ...... weird

So remember I had issue with the flax seed consistency. So the cooking portion was trial & error.

watch the video on my instagram

• Heat the olive oil or cooking spray in a large skillet.
• If your flax seed mixture is correct, the patties should hold together ... 
• One option is to bake your patties at 350 in the oven, let them sit for about 10 minutes, than transfer them to the large skillet to make them crispiER

Now don't worry if your patties fall apart, they are STILL edible and you can use them later for a salad, frittata, burrito, etc. 

PLEASE NOTE:

I didn't add any additional seasonings to the patties. YOU can but I didn't. It wasn't needed. Especially since I added condiments for my burger. 

Burger Toppings:
raw collard greens, onions, tomato, soy cheese
srirracha sauce, bbq sauce, 
wheat bread (perhaps gluten free if you want to get adventurous)

Sides: 

Initially I wanted potatoes, but c'mon thats a lot of carbs. So some steamed green beans with garlic & salt did the trick!

NOMNOM. 

Hope my directions weren't too confusing. 

Let me know how it turns out :)