Nowadays, many restaurants serve vegetarian burgers. I’m planning on making big batches and freezing them for members of my (large, vegetarian) house to eat for lunch, and while there’s usually lots of veggies, beans and grains in the pantry, I can’t always count on a particular ingredient being available. Besides being tasty, they boast the added benefits of being cruelty-free, cholesterol-free and vitamin and fiber powerhouses. When you put a bean or lentil patty on a bun, you run the risk of building a burger that is too dry and bready. The ratio is all out of whack, with not enough ooey-gooeyness to balance the bread and mashed beans. Making your own burgers is easy and fun and it’s more economical than eating out or buying ready-made versions. The hearty texture of mushrooms makes them a great choice for making veggie burgers.  Portabella mushrooms, especially, have a lot of bite to them. It wasn’t until I sat down to write this recipe for the book that I had the revelation I needed: Turn the patty into the bun and stuff that with all sorts of good stuff. Problem solved.

ngredients:

• 1/4 cup black beans – cooked & mashed
• 1/4 onion – diced
• 1/4 colored bell pepper – diced
• 1 garlic clove – diced
• 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 small carrot – shredded
• 2 Tbsps bread crumbs
• 2 pinches chili powder
• 2 pinches cajun spice blend
• 3 Tbsps soy oil (for skillet or griddle)

Instructions

• Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the mushrooms and cumin, and continue cooking the mixture for about five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Mash the beans with a fork and add it to the cooled mixture. Mix well.
• Mold into patties.
• Heat oil in a skilled and fry the patties until done.

If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until just tender, about 10 minutes. Most of you will be using canned beans, so jump right in and combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick patties. I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter.