I’ve been playing around with a black bean burger recipe that incorporates bulgar, because I’m having a love affair with bulgar at the moment. Bulgar is similar to brown rice in appearance and taste, but it has fewer calories, less fat and  more than twice the fiber.  And it’s easier to cook.  (One part bulgar to two parts water.) Boil the water, add the bulgar, cover the pan, remove from heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Drain any access water.  Done.  I usually cook a big batch once a week and then I throw it in soups and use it instead of brown rice in Asian dishes.  It’s great in this black bean burger recipe, and much healthier than bread crumbs.

 After you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, you can eat as much as you want before you cook it. In fact I recommend it.  The cooked burgers will taste exactly like the “dough” so spice it up as much as you want. It did seem a little weird as I was eating it by the spoonful because it looks similar to raw ground beef.  It stays fresh in the refrigerator for days, so you can grill, fry or bake one at a time. And the list of toppings is limited only to your imagination:  lettuce, spinach, kale, tomatoes, jalapeños, pickles, salsa, guacamole, mustard, bbq sauce, chili, etc.  A side of sweet potato fries rounds out a perfect meal.

 

 

4.0 from 1 reviews

Black Bean Burger
 

Ingredients
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseed in 3 tbsp warm water (soak 10 minutes)
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsp Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
  • 1 cup cooked bulgar
  • 2 tbsp corn meal
Toppings
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced and sautéed, chopped tomato, avocado, pickles, salsa, etc.

Instructions
  1. Add ground flaxseed to warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet and sauté onion and garlic for five minutes.
  3. (When these are done I remove and cook another sliced onion to use as a topping.)
  4. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
  5. Stir in onion and garlic. Add chili powder, cumin, chili sauce, cooked bulgar, corn meal and flaxseed liquid. Mix well. Add salt to taste. Divide mixture into four patties and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  6. If grilling: place patties on greased foil and grill about 8 minutes on each side.
  7. If baking: Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side.
  8. If frying: Spray skillet and burgers with Pam and fry for about 5 minutes per side.