Black Bean Burgers

I finally found a black bean burger recipe that I like! And a bonus - they don't fall apart! They were very simple to make and were perfect with a whole wheat bun, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. You can make these spicy by increasing the amount of chili powder and hot sauce, but I kept these ingredients to a minimum since I'm not big on spicy food.  

These were really good on a bun, but would also be great on a green salad to add some protein in place of meat.

Black Bean Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

1 can (16oz) organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 organic green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 yellow or sweet onion, cut into wedges

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 egg

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp hot sauce (I used Cholula)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil baking sheet with canola oil.

2. Mash black beans in a bowl.

3. Place bell pepper, onion and garlic in food processor and finely chop. Add to mashed beans and combine.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Stir into bean mixture. Stir in bread crumbs.

4. Form 4 patties and place on oiled baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes per side, or until firm and fully cooked.

(Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Garlic is rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. Cheese is rich in calcium and protein. Choosing whole wheat buns, as opposed to white buns, provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron because they are less refined.