Black Bean + Quinoa Burger

I've got summer on the brain, particularly beaches, bikinis, and burgers. In the recipe below, the BBQ staple gets a plant-based makeover. This vegan black bean burger is packed with protein, and while it may seem like a lot of steps, it's relatively easy to make. It's even easier if you have leftover quinoa prepared the day before.

Experiment adding in veggies like corn, carrots, or beets for a flavorful vitamin boost. 

Black Bean + Quinoa Burger

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes (quinoa) + 6-12 minutes (burgers) 

Yields: 6 servings

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

Burger

1 tbs. ground flax

¼ cup warm water

Olive oil* or coconut oil

1 shallot, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp. cayenne

1.5 cups cooked black beans (I use 13.4 oz package of Whole Foods black beans in box)

½ cup fresh parsley

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups cooked quinoa, that has been thoroughly cooled. (from above)

½ cup oats, processed into a powder, divided in half (so 2 - ¼ cups)

1. First, make quinoa: bring water and quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat and cook covered for  about 10 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Let cool completely.
2.  Meanwhile, mix flax in a small bowl with warm water. Set aside.
3. Using medium-low heat, warm up about 2 tsp. of oil in a pan, or enough to coat the bottom. Sauté shallot, garlic, and all spices (except salt) for about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. The shallot and garlic should not brown, you just want them lightly cooked and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a minute.
4. Put black beans, parsley, salt, and cooled shallot mixture into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until just combined. (You could stop here and have a delicious black bean mash.)
5. Add the quinoa, flax mixture, and a heaping ¼ cup of the oat flour into the blender, and continue mixing, until thoroughly combined and you have a paste.
6. Scoop out the paste, roll into balls and then press into a patties. It will be slightly sticky. Coat the patties thoroughly in the remaining oat flour, as if you are breading it. 
7. Heat a pan to medium-low, and put just enough oil to cover the bottom. Let patties cook for 3 minutes, flip over, and cook an additional 3 minutes on the other side. You may have to cook in batches depending on the size of your pan. 
8. Serve as you would a regular burger: with ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles or whatever you like!

*If you use olive oil, be sure to use a medium-low temperature, so that the oil doesn’t smoke. Here's why you want to refrain from using a high temperature.