These burgers are a firm favourite in my house. Not only are they utterly delicious, they are also the ultimate power food. Packed with black beans, seeds, oats and dates they contain tons of protein, healthy fats, carbs and fibre, delivering the kind of pure and lasting energy you can only get from clean, whole, plant-based foods. They make a great burger in the traditional sense, but equally you can add them to any lunchbox or - once cold - they even make a great finger-food snack I often take to my sons’ tennis and football sessions. If you want to keep your burgers as natural and healthy as possible make sure to buy your buns from the local bakery or a health food store where you can trust that they aren’t loaded with emulsifiers, palm oil, dextrose and the like. The same applies for the vegan mayo, always read the list of ingredients and if possible don’t buy any of the mainstream brands like Heinz and Hellmann’s as they are often made with the cheapest ingredients in order to maximise profits.
What you need:
2 tins of black beans – drained and rinsed
6tbsp sunflower seeds
5 medjool dates – deseeded
8tbsp jumbo oats
2tbsp olive oil
2-3tbsp soy sauce
½ lime – juice only
4tsp smoked paprika – if you like it spicy you can also use spicy paprika or go 50/50
2tsp garlic granules
If served in a bun you might enjoy my Mexican spiced mayo in which case you also need:
Your favourite vegan mayo
A bit more lime juice (simply use the other half)
A chili con carne spice mix for an easy life or alternatively mix some smoked/spiced paprika, cayenne pepper/chili, cumin, black pepper, a little dried ginger and garlic granules.
Don't forget about your favourite burger fillers. For me these are:
Fried red onion rings
Tomato slices
Avocado
Lettuce
And of course a side of chips! It's easy (and much healthier) to make your own. Simply slice potatoes (skin on) into chips, spread them on a lined baking tray, drizzle a generous amount of rapeseed or sunflower oil over the top and finish off with some sea salt. Roast in the oven while you prepare your black bean burgers until lightly browned and crispy.
How you do it:
Preheat the oven at fan 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Add all your ingredients to a food processor and whizz everything until you get a sticky paste – ideally you still have a little bit of texture from the seeds and oats, so check after about 10 seconds, taste (add more seasoning if necessary) scrape down the sides and blend for another few seconds.
Form the burgers by adding spoonfuls of the bean paste to the lined baking tray, making 6-8 roughly equal heaps before gently flattening them into burger shapes (the paste is quite sticky so don’t worry about perfectionism, it’s all about the taste and once baked they will be nice and firm).
Bake for 20-25mins and serve straight away or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If served with the Mexican spiced mayo simply mix all the ingredients in a little bowl adding seasoning to taste.
Assemble your burger and tuck in!
