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Burger Revolution

Mexican Black Bean Burgers

by John Ash
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It’s better to sauté these burgers rather than grill them, because they have a fragile texture and lack the protein that meat and fish have to hold everything together.Serves four.

Vegetarian
ingredient discovery
Ingredients ancho chile powder cumin seeds poblano chiles more
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (both white and green parts)
1/3 cup finely chopped poblano chile (1 small chile)
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup toasted whole-grain breadcrumbs (about 1 slice of bread)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. pure chile powder, such as ancho or New Mexico
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt
Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa

Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, poblano, and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the beans and pulse 2 or 3 times to roughly chop. Be careful not to overprocess.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently mix in the cilantro, breadcrumbs, egg, chile powder, cumin, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Shape the mixture into 4 equal 3/4-inch-thick patties. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until nicely browned on both sides, flipping carefully, about 5 minutes total.

Serve with the Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa.

photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 94, pp. 51
July 1, 2008

user reviews

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by whatscooking, 7/21/2009This is really good recipe. The bean patties have a lot of flavor and the salsa is good too.
by tastan, 7/13/2009Excellent and so easy to make! They did not fall apart at all, like sometimes happens with homemade vegetarian burgers. The salsa is a great accompaniment. Even my husband, who is usually adverse to vegetarian entrees, really liked them and said he would request them again.
by Jayson0601, 3/10/2009I have made these twice and both times they have been a hit!
by kbauer, 10/8/2008I have made these burgers several times now and they have turned out great each time. I did not use any scallions in our because we're not fans of scallions. Just a note about serving size, one burger (with the tomatillo sauce) is not very filling. Two of these patties make a filling meal.
by Amy, 9/16/2008These burgers are very good. They are soft as you cook them, but if you let them stand for a bit afterward, they seem to firm up a bit.
by RBookman, 9/4/2008I don't write reviews very often, but this recipe deserves praise. The burgers are full of flavor, and the freshness of the avocado salsa complements both the texture and flavor of the patties perfectly. This well-composed recipe is quick and easy to prepare. The burgers are filling, but I still recommend doubling the recipe if you want to have seconds on hand. Though vegetarian, they were popular amongst my omnivorous family and friends. The perfectly-oven baked fries (another fine cooking recipe) make a tasty addition to this meal.