Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I'm going to level with you right now-- veggie burgers are not my favorite. Burgers in general are not my favorite. Even back when I ate red meat I didn't like them all that much. But every once in a while, like every couple of months, I would get a hankering for one. That's also what happens to me with veggie burgers. Not interested. Not interested. Not interested. BAM! All I want is a veggie burger!

This happened to me the other night when I was scrolling Pinterest (my life is so glamorous) and saw some pin of a veggie burger. It looked delicious, but the recipe was not really my style. I don't own dry steak seasoning nor am I going to go out and buy it. I also really don't like bell peppers and that recipe called for a whole one. Gross. So instead I made up another recipe, loosely based on this one:

From Good Life Eats

This was my first attempt at veggie burgers and, let me tell you, it took a few tries to get it right. At first it was too runny... like a black bean quinoa pancake (not what I was going for) and then my attempts at pan frying did not turn out. I was feeling discouraged so I ended up eating the pan fried one and just baking the rest to see if it would save them.

Guys, I worked a miracle here. These burgers were going south fast and I turned them around. I'm a veggie burger savior. These are actually pretty good-- high praise from a person who doesn't really like veggie burgers all the time. I've been eating them for lunch all week. They are delicious with avocado and tomato on top.

The pan-fried one was saved by copious amounts of avocado

Baked not fried. I should have known...

Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 shallot, chopped (choose a small one)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
Load everything except the 1/2 cup quinoa into a blender or food processor and mix together until almost combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add in the remaining quinoa. Shape the mixture into 6 patties and place on a lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.

You could always add more veggies to this to change up the taste a bit. For a different texture you could try a different quinoa to bean ratio or even add panko or flour (that will make it hold together more if you feel like your patties are falling apart on you). This is one of those recipes that's meant to be expanded upon so go for it! Let me know how yours turn out...