Every year I make bean burgers in giant batches and freeze them, ready to pull out and grill at the drop of a hat or rather, at the signs of no drops of rain and a smidgeon of sunshine.
This year has been no exception, in fact, this year I’ve made even more burgers than I usually do, because it’s been the hottest and driest summer in a long time, which has meant many more BBQ days than usual. Yay!
Because I have made so many burgers this season, I have some collated some thoughts about what constitutes an amazing vegan bean burger:
It needs to:
- Taste amazing (duh!)
- Have some texture and bite.
- Hold up well on a BBQ and withstand flipping.
- Taste great with all the yummy other bits we love to add to our burgers.
How do we do that? Well, I add some seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seed for a bit of crunch, some soy mince which adds a bit of extra bite and to keep them from falling apart, linseed (or flaxseed) which in my opinion is the best ‘binder” for any kind of burger, fritter or to stick breadcrumbs to something that you’re going to fry. This formula will mean you end up with a delicious burger that has a great texture too!
So. With that in mind, here’s my fool proof, grill-able, easy vegan burger.
Make a batch and add all the condiments! Speaking of which – we are currently OBSESSED with adding Wills Beetroot Ketchup to our burgers. It’s tangy, rich and not too sweet. And.. conveniently ..it’s in this month’s Vegan Larder Box! So if you sign up now, you could be enjoying it next week.
Every BBQ needs a decent bean burger. This one keeps vegans and everyone else who loves a burger happy!
- 1 tin black beans (standard 400g tin size)
- 1 tin kidney beans
- 1/2 cup (100g) dried soya mince (Do not add water to this!) this is sometimes called TVP or hamburger helper, depending on where you are in the world
- 2 Tbs ground linseed mixed with 6 Tbs water Also known as flax seed. This works as a binder and helps the burgers stick together when grilling.
- 2 tsp oregano or thyme use fresh or dried
- 4 cloves garlic very finely chopped
- 2 Tbs sunflower or pumpkin seeds roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion very finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli sauce optional but yummy. Add more if you like it hot!
- 3 Tbs BBQ or Tomato Sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & Pepper to taste
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Finely chop the onion and garlic. Roughly chop the sunflower & pumpkin seeds.
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Add the beans and roughly mash
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Add all the other ingredients and mash & mix to combine.
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Let the mixture 'rest' in the fridge for around 20mins. This will allow the soya mince to re-hydrate and once cooled, the mix will be easier to work with.
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Make into patties- these can be large or small, I like to make them around the same size as the palm of my hand.
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You can grill these straight away, or chill or freeze until needed. If you BBQ them, brush with a little oil to prevent them from sticking.
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Serve on a bun with all the trimmings.
Summer Potato, Pea & Dill Salad