Black Bean Burger with Cauliflower Mash. (I had some great photos of the burger on a bun with the aioli, but all things camera decided to stop working on me suddenly.)

For the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with black bean meat substitutes. I first tried black bean balls (stop laughing and think meat balls). I baked them and didn’t use any kind of egg replacer. The result: dry and not what I was hoping. Last week, I tried my hand at making burgers, this time, adding ground flax to help bind and moisten. I also felt it would go great with some type of aioli, and I was right! This recipe is super easy and very satisfying. Happy Meatless Monday to all and to all a good bite!

BLACK BEAN BURGER

SERVINGS: 3-4 Burgers

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of Black Beans
• 1/2 small Onion
• 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 Flax-egg (soak flax meal in water or your choice of egg replacer)
• 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1/4 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (if using unseasoned, add Italian seasoning)
• 1/4 cup Vegan Parmesan (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt + Pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon White or Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil or Vegan Butter for cooking

Step 1: Mash black beans to desired consistency. I like to leave a few beans whole to give it a “meatiness” to it. Chop onion and add to mashed black beans.

Step 2: Soak flax with water according to flax meal package and set aside. (Bob’s Red Mill is the brand I buy) While waiting for your flax-egg to be ready (about 2 minutes), season mixture with salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic. Mix together.

Step 3: Add mustard, ketchup and parmesan. Mix.

Step 4: Add flax-egg to mixture and stir. Add bread crumbs and Italian seasoning (if using unseasoned bread crumbs) and stir. I like to refrigerate the mixture for about a half hour to let all the flavors set and firm it up a bit.

Step 5: Form mixture into patties. Don’t make them too big or else they will easily fall apart.

Step 6: Heat frying pan with Olive Oil or vegan butter. Brown patties on both sides.

Serve on a bun with garlic aioli and all of your favorite burger toppings! Or simply serve over a bed of rice with some veggies and enjoy!

GARLIC AIOLI

Where I currently live in Florida, vegan items are sometimes hard to come by. The Publix near me occasionally has 1 jar of Vegenaise on hand, but it didn’t this week, so I experimented with vegan sour cream for this recipe instead. I think it would be great with either item as the base, so I leave it up to you!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Vegenaise or Vegan Sour Cream (I use Tofutti’s Sour Supreme)
• 1 teaspoon Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• A splash or 2 of Jalapeno Pepper Juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder (optional)
• Splash White Vinegar
• Splash Soy Sauce or Tamari

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate. Use as a dip or topping for burgers, veggies, or potatoes!