I have always been a bit sketchy about black bean burgers. I’m honestly not sure why. Actually, I think a lot of it has to do with how the vegetarian movement kicked off and how vegetarian food was initially introduced.
Back in the 80s and 90s, my family would go to Colorado many summers to visit family. Now, obviously vegetarianism was around much earlier than this. But the whole natural food, vegetarian movement in Colorado was so much more prevalent than, well, the Midwest… shocker.
Going to some of these little cafes that offered a variety of whole foods and vegetarian options, they all seemed to be similar. Sprouts and pumpkin seeds and black beans and other assortments that people used to ascribe to the whole “hippy dippy” movement. Vegetarian options today are just so vastly different from what they used to be. Not to say that seed varieties and sprouts don’t still make their way into vegetarian dishes! And also, noting that many Meatless Monday meals really aren’t that healthful. I mean, yeah, anyone can just skip the meat on a plateful of pasta and call it Meatless Monday… but is it really that healthful?
But back to the black bean burger. All of the black bean burgers I ever encountered always seemed to be mashed up with what, to me, seemed like the strangest things. They were gross. I’ll just be blunt about it. Vegetarians wanted a meatless burger before Impossible Burger and such brands came about and they generally just threw a bunch of crap together with black beans. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t be that judgy. I’m just saying I hadn’t come across a black bean burger than seemed appealing all those years ago.
Fast forward 30 years and the vegetarian and vegan movement is alive and well and creating amazing dishes. What’s even better is the amazing dishes and are also super healthful for you! Enter my black bean burger.
Okay, I will admit that first, this is higher in calories and higher in carbs. But those are not always indicative of health. This burger is loaded up with super healthful carbs. Both the black beans and the quinoa (whole grains!) offer a ton of fiber, protein, and nutrients. Guacamole is an awesome healthy fat that is great in moderation. Then, the burger is topped off with a corn salsa that is packed with nutrients from corn, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, and jalapeños.
To stick with the southwestern theme, the burger buns are smeared with a chipotle aioli that is made a little healthier by mixing nonfat Greek yogurt and low fat sour cream. I find the sour cream mixed into the yogurt gives it a bit of an extra twang that makes it resemble mayonnaise a little more closely… all while keeping it much healthier! This burger is seriously delicious. I actually think I like it more than my white bean burger!
A couple of notes… first, this could easily be made vegan by just skipping on the cheese ~ the manchego in the burger patties and the cotija in the salsa. It’ll still be delicious! Also, after cooking the quinoa, just pop the lid off of the pot, stir it, and give it a minute or two to cool down slightly. By the time you add it to the bowl of black beans and you mash everything together, it will be cool enough to handle! And, while the quinoa is cooking… that’s the best time to keep prepping rather than prepping everything and then starting the quinoa! Time management 101 😉
Enjoy!
Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Burger with Guacamole, Corn Salsa, & Chipotle Aioli
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Burgers, Southwestern, TexMex
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Black Bean Quinoa Burger
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1 – 15.5 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
5 oz manchego, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Corn Salsa
2 corn on the cob, boiled for 5 minutes, cooled, & then corn cut off
5 oz grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 jalapeño, minced ~ deseeded if desired
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
½ cup cotija, crumbled
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
Chipotle Aioli
⅓ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
salt & pepper
To Serve
Guacamole ~ store-bought or homemade
4 brioche buns
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, black beans, panko breadcrumbs, egg, grated manchego, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Using a potato masher, mash the ingredients together until thoroughly combined ~ most of the black beans will be mashed, but it’s okay if some are still whole.
Using your hands, form 6 patties, patting together firmly. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and spray with a nonstick spray. Cook the patties 5 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, cotija, red onions, and roasted red peppers. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, sour cream chipotle in adobo sauce, and a pinch of salt & pepper.
Place the cooked patties on the buns. Top with guacamole then the corn salsa. Smear the chipotle aioli on the top bun and place on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
NOTE: if you do not want to cook all of the patties, wrap the unneeded patties tightly in cellophane wrap and then place in freezer bags. Freeze up to 6 months. When ready to use, defrost and cook as directed above.
Keywords: black bean burgers, quinoa burgers, black bean quinoa burgers, vegetarian burgers, chipotle aioli, corn salsa
