I wanted to make Mushroom Black Bean Burgers the other night, but to my dismay, I quickly realized I had no black beans. As someone who is a can hoarder, this came as quite a surprise. It may be the first time in my life that I’ve been without a staple can (and trust me, black beans are a staple in my house)! While I could have easily made something else, when a vegetarian wants a burger, a vegetarian wants a burger! And thus, I had to act quickly and make a main ingredient substitution. For me this is easy, but I realize for many other barely-keeping-all-the-mouths-in-the-household-fed cooks out there, it might be a little more difficult. Also making a substitution usually means adjusting a few other ingredients (in this case upping the oats and adding some lemon juice). Since my husband’s reaction after the first bite was, “Wow! These are really good!”, I decided to add them to the blog. I hope you enjoy them as much as he did:)
Food processor magic
Honestly, if you’re like the rest of us and don’t have all day to cook, the food processor should be your best friend. I use mine as much as I can. It cuts down on prep time, is easy to clean (it’s dishwasher safe on the top rack!) and will allow you to tackle dishes you never could if you were hand chopping—these burgers included! If you need some motivation dusting off your food processor, check out this post that explains why I love mine so much. Honestly, I’m obsessed. And once you realize how awesome your food processor is, you can give Mama’s Salsa a try—I bet you it would be a delicious burger topping!
Building your burger
Treat this burger as you would any other. Toast a bun, slice up some tomatoes, melt a piece of cheese on top, bust out your favorite condiments…do whatever your little burger heart desires! I personally love topping mine with Creamy Avocado Dip or mixing mayo with Arugula Pesto; both are made in the food processor and are so easy to make they’ll be ready by the time your burgers are cooked. I also don’t hate a fried egg on my burger and sometimes when the baby has just gone down for a nap, I make Caramelized Onions. Yum! You could even serve this burger over a salad (try an Asparagus Tomato Salad, a Crunchy Salad with Creamy Dressing or I love this Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad). The photo below features the Mushroom Chickpea Burger with sauteed spinach and melted manchego cheese. Wow! You really can’t go wrong whatever you decide.
Get cooking!
These burgers are a quick way to enjoy Meatless Monday. And if you’re looking for more veggie burger ideas, check out these Quinoa Black Bean Burgers or the original recipe, Mushroom Black Bean Burgers. You could even try turning these Spaghetti Squash Cakes into burgers. And if you need more vegetarian dinner inspiration, I serve these No Fry Eggplant Stacks and Stuffed Parmesan Zucchini Boats all the time! I also love making a big batch of Vegetarian Chili and this Polenta with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Spinach is always a hit. As always, let me know how your Mushroom Chickpea Burgers come out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Mushroom Chickpea Veggie Burgers
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 8 oz a small container mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed (I like to use baby Portobellos)
- 1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
- 1 cup rolled quick oats
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- juice of 1 lemon
- handful of parsley (about ¼ cup), thick stems removed
- pinch of red chili flakes or cayenne pepper (optional for some heat)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Fit the food processor with the metal blade. With the machine running, drop garlic cloves through the feed tubing (this will help to mince them evenly). Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the ingredients (except for the olive oil!) to the work bowl. Pulse a few times until all the ingredients are well combined, but not pureed. Let sit for about 5 minutes (or even longer if you have time); this will help the oats absorb the liquid and stay together when cooking. Shape into four to five even burgers packing the patties tightly.
- In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Arrange burgers in pan and cook until crisp (about 4-5 minutes). Flip burgers carefully (they are delicate) and cook another 4-5 minutes on the other side adding more oil if necessary. Serve as you would any burger.
