Sometimes you just need a burger and fries

Who doesn’t love indulging in a burger and fries every now and then? When doing a lot of your own cooking and focusing on a whole foods diet that is mainly (or entirely) plant-based, you don’t have to worry much about unhealthy foods, fats or fads.

Ah yes, cooking from scratch can be really healthy but, at the same time, really tasty.

Enter: the veggie burger.

There are of course a gazillion versions of vegan burgers/patties readily available on the market these days, and that’s great every now and again, but if you want to make your own you can copy my favourite burger recipe below. This recipe will provide you with a good overview of pretty much everything that goes into making the patties, while the finished product will give you that sense of comfort and fulfillment that a fast food takeaway might normally give you.

Also, one of the main ingredients is black beans, packed full of protein and other fantastic nutrients.

So try it and let me know what you think!

Sometimes you just need a veggie burger and sweet potato fries.

This recipe makes 6-8 patties and takes 1 hour from start to finish (20 minutes prep time, 30-40 minutes cooking time).

Ingredients:

• 2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (if boiling beans from scratch, use 1 cup uncooked beans and follow cooking directions)

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or oat flour

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts (or substitute with another 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs/oat flour)

• 2 tbsp. ketchup and/or vegan BBQ sauce

• pinch of salt

• pinch of pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F.

2. Spread the beans onto a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until slightly dried out.

3. While the beans are in the oven, sauté the olive oil, chopped pepper, garlic and onion over medium heat, until the peppers and onions are soft. This should take about 5-6 minutes.

4. Next add the remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, breadcrumbs (or oat flour), walnuts, ketchup, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper) in a large bowl.

5. Take the beans out of the oven and have them ready to add to the mixture.

6. The next step is to stir or pulse everything together, then add the black beans. Pulse the mixture (alternatively mash with a fork) but not too much. It’s good to leave some larger chunks of beans for added texture.

7. Once pulsed nicely, form the mixture into patties. The mixture should make 6-8 nicely sized patties.

8. The patties can be baked, grilled or pan fried. If baking, place the patties on parchment paper and bake at 190°C/375°F for 10 minutes on each side. If grilling, it’s best to put the patties on greased aluminium foil and grill 8 minutes on each side, at a medium temperature. If pan frying, heat a greased pan to medium, place the patties on the pan and fry for 4-5 minute on each side.

Notes:

You can serve these with all your favourite toppings and sides. I tend to have one/all of the following: homemade potato and sweet potato wedges on the side; smashed avocado as a topping, along with sliced pickled cucumber, slices of tomato, caramelised red onions, a slice of vegan cheese and some lettuce; and served in a (vegan) brioche or burger bun. You could make your own bun, see for instance this recipe.

These patties are good in the fridge for about 5 days. They also freeze well and should be fine in the freezer for 2-3 months. It's good to place parchment paper between each patty, so they don't stick together.

Bon appetit!

xo Bee