Quinoa Black Bean Burgers

Make a big batch of these burgers to keep in the freezer for a quick and easy weeknight meal. They are delicious on lettuce “buns” but also work great between normal hamburger buns. These burgers are also completely vegetarian and gluten-free.

I had the pictured burger on an english muffin with avocado, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, arugula, and Sriracha mayo.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (raw)
• 2 Sweet potatoes
• 2 cans (15oz) black beans
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 white onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 roasted red peppers
• 2 Chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg

Method

1. Add quinoa to 2 cups of water (can use chicken stock if you want) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350°F Peel sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 1 hour or until soft. The previous steps can be done in advance.
3. In a food processor, combine black beans (reserve ¾ cup for later), oats, onion, garlic, roasted red pepper, chipotles pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pulse several times until well incorporated.
4. Place mixture in a large bowl along with cooked quinoa, reserved black beans, and finely chopped sweet potato. Mix everything together, cover and refrigerate for ½ hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with olive oil. Form patties with about ½ cup of the mixture and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with your favorite toppings and condiments.