Black Bean Mushroom Burgers

A vegetarian classic! Great for BBQs and picnics!

Veggie burgers are a type of burger patty that does not include any meat. They are composed of ingredients like beans, grains, nuts, seeds, or fungi. Recipes for “vegetable” burgers containing no meat have been cited in print form as early as 1969. The first veggie burger was commercially sold in 1982. It was invented by Gregory Sams, a natural food restaurant owner based in London, England. When he was 19 years old, during the late 1960s, Gregory Sams opened SEED, a macrobiotic restaurant in London. The menu included dishes with vegetables, rice, seaweed, miso, unleavened bread, and other ingredients like sesame and sunflower seeds. Famous regulars of SEED were John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sams would even create new specials on the menu when the famous couple would come over.

Having vegetarian and vegan siblings meant finding alternatives to meat very necessary for feeding and entertaining, in my family. My parents were a little stumped at first about how to cook without using animal products, but they figured it out and we all appreciated it. I had plenty of practice experimenting with vegetarian and vegan cooking when I was in college. I loved throwing dinner parties with friends, and many of them had different dietary preferences. When I would come back home for the holidays I would be happy to lend my hand at animal product free cooking for our family holiday meals. Please enjoy this recipe, black bean mushroom burgers will soon become a family favorite!

Black Bean Mushroom Burgers

Yields 4 patties

Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8-10 minutes

Beer Pairing Suggestion: Brown Ale

Directions

In a large bowl toss together the mushrooms and the Worcestershire sauce.

Add the black beans, salt, and pepper. Stir and incorporate.

Bind mixture together by stirring in egg and breadcrumbs.

Using your hands, form four equal sized patties.

Spray a nonstick pan with vegetable oil and heat the pan to medium heat.

Add burgers to the pan and cook both sides for 4 minutes each, until nicely browned.

If using cheese, put the cheese on top of the burgers, cover pan and let the cheese melt on top for 2 minutes.

Serve hot with buns, lettuce, and tomatoes.

If you want this recipe to be vegan substitute the egg for 4 tablespoons of all purpose flour, and do not serve with cheese.

This recipe works well with other types of beans, try it with red kidney beans, Cannellini beans, or pinto beans!

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