I love a good black bean burger, and I have been tinkering with my recipe for the burger itself for a long time. Recently, I had dinner at the Farmhouse Tap and Grill in Burlington, Vermont, and I was inspired by how this burger described on their menu. Since I make my own kimchi and pickled jalepeno at home, I was decided to follow their example and try this topping combination! You can also buy both kimchi and pickled jalepeno easily at the grocery store. The result was everything that I hoped it could be – packed full of flavor and deliciousness. This is an interesting mixture of beans, pickled vegetables, sweet, and sour tastes that blend together well.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the black bean burger:
- 2 cups/16 oz cooked black beans
- 1/2 cup/4 oz mushrooms
- 1 small onion, about 4 oz/ 1/2 cup
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- olive oil for cooking
For assembly:
- 4 kaiser rolls
- 2 tbsp pickled jalepeno or escabeche
- 4 tbsp kimchi
- 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut into slices
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
- barbecue sauce
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, mash the beans using a potato masher until they are broken down into a paste.
Dice the mushrooms and onions very finely into about 1/4″ dice. Add these to a large skillet with about 1 tbsp. olive oil and cook over high heat until they have lost a lot of their water. The mushrooms should look wilted and starting to crisp up and the onions should be translucent. Remove from heat and add to the bowl with the beans. If there is any liquid from the mushrooms in the skillet, don’t add the liquid to the mixing bowl.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to break up the yolks. Then add the eggs and all of the other burger ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir together to evenly distribute. For a vegan burger, omit the eggs. Instead of making four patties, form five smaller ones.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in the large skillet over medium high heat. Rotate the pan to spread the oil around.
Divide the mixture up in to four patties. Form patties by holding part of the mix in your hand and shaping the mix into a ball. Flatten it slightly in your palms and then place it in the skillet. Fry until the bottom is crispy and the patty is starting to firm up – slide a spatula under to check. Then, flip the burger over and cook until crispy on the other side. As soon as you flip the burger, place a slice of cheese on top (optional) so that it will melt while the burger cooks.
Remove the burgers from heat and assemble the sandwiches! Start with your burger, topped with cheese and one quarter of the kimchi, jalepeno, and cilantro. Finish with barbecue sauce and enjoy!
Kan I Cook It 