Why I Like Making My Own Black Bean Burger

I was cruising through Costco isles the other day and had tasted Morning Star’s Black Bean Burgers before and absolutely love them. Now before you head on down to the store and purchase these tasty quick burgers that sounds healthy it may not be that healthy. I have found out that just because it looks healthy or even carried by the health food store Buyer always needs to be aware.

As I started to read the ingredients on these burgers I noticed that one of the ingredients was TVP or textured Vegetable Protein. The reason is not that is made of soy but rather because the soy that is used is TVP (textured Vegetable Protein) is processed in the wrong way so that it isn’t the healthiest. That is why I like Shaklee Soy products they learned over 50 years ago how to process it to maintain the healthy part of soy. See this post for explantion.

I decided to post this recipe of this fresh Black Bean Burger recipe. This  is going to change your view of veggie burgers forever. These meatless burgers are so tasty, so bold they could finally unite vegetarians and meat-eaters alike in delectable dining paradise! Ok, maybe not. But they’re pretty darn good.

With the help of your trusty food processor, these Black Bean Burgers come together in no time. They also freeze well, so making a double or triple batch is always a good time-saving idea for future meals. The fresh peppers and onions, organic spices and black beans from Eden Foods make these a healthy choice all year ’round. And for those who like a little kick in their burger, the Thai chili sauce will make these black bean burgers as bold as you like

• 1 (15 ounce) can Organic Black Beans dried
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges (We like red, but yellow or white would work fine too)
• 3/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs

The first step is to preheat the grill. Take a sheet of lightly oiled aluminum foil and place on the grate for cooking (otherwise you may lose them between the grates.)

In a medium bowl, mash black beans until thick and pasty. You can use a fork or pastry blender. You don’t need to get it completely smooth; a few chunks will actually be good to hold it all together.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper and onion. To separate some of the moisture, line a colander or strainer with some paper towels and pour the puree into strainer and squeeze out some of the liquid. If there’s too much moisture at the end, it’ll be very hard to get the burgers to hold their shape.

Add the pepper and onion mixture to the beans and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Add in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into 4-5 patties. Don’t be afraid to add more bread crumbs. You could also use a combination of regular bread crumbs and spiced bread crumbs, adding a little at a time.

Makes 5 patties. Serving size 1.

Serving Suggestion: If you really want to make the most out of your hard work, don’t stop with just a lightly toasted bun, add some fixin’s. We strongly recommend the following: pepper jack cheese, sliced avocados or homemade guacamole, fresh cilantro and some honey mustard sauce.