Beetroot, Basil and Black Bean Burgers
In my opinion, burgers are best eaten with a liberal application of juicy relish or aioli and a bib; such that said relish or aioli may tumble it's way south in all it's fury, with no risk of tears and shirt front spoilage.
So, when I discovered this delectable looking recipe my senses went into overdrive imagining the potential in every bite. Today I am delighted to share a most sensational veggie burger recipe by the plant-based queen herself, Buffy-Ellen Gill of Be Good Organics. Buffy must take credit for both this recipe and these glorious photos, which themselves are indeed a feast for the eyes.
The hero of this dish is the black bean, a hugely versatile bean with a dense meaty texture, ideal for recreating recipes requiring mince. Not only are they a fantastic source of protein but they're low GI and high in iron, magnesium and fibre. Combined with beetroot and basil, Buffy-Ellen has indeed outdone herself with this recipe!
Serves 5-6 (makes 12 patties)
2 400ml cans black beans (3 cups rinsed and drained)*
1 large beetroot (1 1/2 cups grated and packed)
1 large onion (finely diced)
1/2 cup chickpea (besan) flour**
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast***
1 large handful fresh basil (roughly torn)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 teaspoons sea salt
*Adzuki beans work really well as an alternative to black beans. 1 cup of dried beans equates to approximately 3 cups of cooked beans.
**Brown rice or buckwheat flour can be subbed here 'though Buffy recommends we try chickpea flour, as it not only gives them awesome flavour but it's the best flour to bind patties (in the absence of eggs). With a strong food processor, you simply whizz dried chickpeas until they are the consistency of flour.
***Nutritional yeast gives the burgers a lovely richness and cheesiness. Reduce it to 1 tablespoon if you prefer a stronger basil flavour.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pulse lightly in a food processor. Don't overmix in the processor as you need the mixture to stay relatively dry and not get too wet. Press the mixture firmly into a 1/4 cup measuring cup and place on an oven tray, making 12 burgers. Using the back of the measuring cup, gently flatten the burgers a little, pushing stray bits back into the burger.
Bake the burgers for 15 minutes, grilling for a few minutes at the end if you prefer them a little browner. Then flip over and bake for 5 more minutes on the other side.
Serve two burger patties each on your bun (you may like to try our gluten free burger buns) with your toppings of choice. Buffy recommends her creamy cashew aioli, and I can see why quite frankly!
See below for additional recipe notes.
Recipe notes from Buffy:
If you prefer your burgers firmer, bake for an extra 5 minutes on the second side. If you're preparing these for a BBQ, skip the second side and cook that on the BBQ flat plate. You can also follow this second method if you're looking to freeze or refrigerate them for another night. Just make sure you place baking paper in between the burgers when freezing. Simply defrost and pan fry or BBQ as you need.
If you are keen for some more plant based recipes, you really must go check out Buffy-Ellen's amazing recipe collection. She's got quite the knack!
Please do let me know what you think once you've recreated this gorgeous recipe, we love getting feedback for any and all recipes on the site - and I'm sure Buffy would love it too. You may like to save this recipe for another day on your healthy Pinterest board too.
