Bean Burgers
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott adapted from Legumes from Europe
Preparation time: 25 minutes plus 30 minutes resting time
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Makes 6 large burger patties
For Patties
- Oil for frying
- 400g/14ozs canned red kidney beans, plus the liquid from can
- 150g/5ozs dry couscous
- 1 teaspoon stock powder
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste/puree
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 40g/1.4ozs chia seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 teaspoons cumin, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
- large pinch oregano leaves, crushed
- ½ cup chopped coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
- salt to taste-start with ½ teaspoon
- black pepper to taste
For Burger
- 6 potato buns, split in half horizontally
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 slices red onion
- Truffle mayonnaise
- Chilli sauce or tomato sauce
- Pickles
- Soft lettuce leaves
Step 1 - In a saucepan add the beans and their juice and heat to simmering. Add the couscous and the stock powder and take it off the heat but leave with the lid on for 15 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed the liquid. Blend the mixture until it is just a little chunky, for the burger consistency, then add the onion, carrot, tomato puree, garlic and chia eggs, mixing well. Add the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, cumin, sugar, smoked paprika, ginger, oregano, coriander, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Taste for seasoning. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Step 2 -Heat a non stick frying pan on medium high heat and add oil. With damp hands, shape into six even large balls and place two or three at a time on the pan. You can flatten them slightly here - the patties will be soft so try not to handle them too much. Cook for 7 minutes on one side and then gently flip over and cook on the other side for 7 minutes.