Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers (Baked!)

20 Jan

In my other life I am a full-time college professor teaching intensive academic English to immigrants and foreign students who need a bit more English to be able to make it in the mainstream of our local community college.

I don’t make a whole lot of money (although there are other perks to living the higher education life!) and until my son enters kindergarten, I have a big fat daycare bill every month, so I am not dropping $10 a day on going out to lunch. No WAY.

I try, as much as possible, to prepare three wholesome, homemade meals a day for me and my son (and they are not always the same meal — my kingdom for a dishwasher….) and do it on the cheap. I triple recipes and freeze portions for greater efficiency. And I am always searching for new takes on standard ingredients.

So here is a new recipe for black bean burgers, inspired by Vegetarian Times. This addition of quinoa — a super-grain that is super-easy to prepare — creates a phenomenal texture and you can really substitute whichever spices you like; here I used adobo powder to good effect. ATTENTION VEGANS: the quinoa holds everything together, so there are NO EGGS needed!

You can also freeze the extra; a great plus. I did them from dry beans, soaked overnight with a bit of salt, then simmered for a couple of hours, but I include the measurements for using canned beans too.

Full disclosure: Leandro loved the texture and did not like the taste AT ALL. So I will get to pack them for my lunches for the next few weeks and next time I make these, I will fiddle around with flavors. VegTimes suggests steak seasoning (which is vegetarian) so maybe I will go that route.

Here’s to a delicious and healthy Spring Semester, starting now at a college near me!

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

1.5 Cups cooked quinoa (prepared according to package directions)

1 small onion, chopped fine (about 1 Cup)

6 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained indifferently and finely chopped

1.5 Cups cooked black beans (or 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained, divided in half)

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 Tbs)

2 Tbs adobo

(Optional: Burger fixings – buns, sliced onion, cheese, mustard, ketchup, sliced avocado, etc)

Saute onion and tomatoes in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat (you probably won’t need additional oil as the tomatoes will have enough). Cook 5 minutes, until onion is well-softened. Stir in black beans (half if using canned), garlic, adobo and 1.5 Cups water and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the beans are softened (you may need more water if using beans from dry). Season with salt and pepper if necessary and allow to cool.

Transfer bean mixture to food processor. Add half the quinoa and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the remaining quinoa (and remaining beans if using canned).

Preheat oven to 350°F and coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into ½ Cup patties (8-9) and place on baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes on each side until both sides are crisp and brown and serve with fixings of your choice.

Tags: black bean burgers, cooking, food, freezeable veggie burgers, quinoa burgers, recipes, vegan burgers, vegetarian, veggie burgers

Comments 11 Comments
Categories Food, lunch, Recipes, Sandwich, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian

11 Responses to “Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers (Baked!)”

banbamama February 16, 2012 at 4:31 pm #

Great recipe! I always have a stock of dried pulses, beans etc in the cupboard. I have never tried black beans though. Will give this a shot for sure. Thanks!

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy February 16, 2012 at 4:43 pm #
  
  Thanks for the visit! Let me know how it goes!
  
  Reply
Rachel Noel January 21, 2012 at 9:09 am #

I’ll probably be making these, like, today! I love that all the ingredients are so accessable. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy February 16, 2012 at 4:43 pm #
  
  Let me know how it goes…thanks for stopping by!
  
  Reply
ceciliag January 20, 2012 at 1:52 pm #

Good to discover something that will hold the burgers together, i am sure baking as opposed to stove top frying helps too and i love that shot through the glass jug.. very cool.. c

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy January 20, 2012 at 6:46 pm #
  
  This texture was really terrific; I may try the same technique to make oven-baked falafel. thoughts?
  
  Reply
susannah January 20, 2012 at 1:29 pm #

Thanks Natalia for a veg recipe! I can’t wait to make these:)

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy January 20, 2012 at 6:45 pm #
  
  I’ve posted a number of vegan recipes lately…people are going to start to wonder about me!
  
  Reply
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide January 20, 2012 at 10:57 am #

Those look good. I’d definitely be reaching for the salsa.

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy January 20, 2012 at 6:47 pm #
  
  Oooooh, salsa sounds like a wonderful idea!
  
  Reply
T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types January 20, 2012 at 8:51 am #

These look fantastic! I have been looking to do more with quinoa, beyond my usual “salad topper” so I can’t wait to try these out!

Reply

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