BEET & BLACK BEAN BURGERS (VEGAN)
These vegan Beet & Black Bean Burgers are so delicious that I would pick them over most store-bought veggie burgers! They’re grain-free, high protein, high-fiber, and full of smoky, savory flavor! Have them with a salad or grilled veggies on the side for a low carb option, or load up that bun for the ultimate veggie burger experience.
Did you know? A 2018 mega-review of over 50 studies in resistance-trained subjects (aka people who lift) concluded that protein intakes beyond 0.7-0.8 grams per pound body weight cause no further increase lean mass gains, regardless of training intensity. That means, there is a max to how much protein is necessary or beneficial, even if you’re an athlete!
That also means, don’t frown on these burgers because they have less protein than beef burgers. The base of these burgers is sautéed beets, carrots, and refried black beans. Each burger has half a serving of veggies! All you need to do is dice a washed beet very fine and shred one large carrot. Then, cook them in a pan with olive oil cooking spray until tender and browned.
Remove to a large mixing bowl and add your refried black beans (other beans will work, just mash them up), chopped pumpkin seeds (can use sunflower seeds, walnuts, or other nuts), and spices. I went with cumin, onion powder, and smoked paprika, but you can use whatever you like! After combining the ingredients, form them into patties and return to the skillet to grill until slightly crisp.
For the buns, I used classic sesame buns, but you can use whole wheat, gluten-free, or even sweet potato or lettuce buns! There are so many fun ways to eat these. You can even have them bun-less or cut them into smaller pieces for the kids to enjoy (my 1-year-old and 3-year-old loved them).
My toppings of choice were avocado, vegan mayo, lettuce, tomato, and red onion; but I can imagine these would taste delicious with melty vegan cheese, hummus, or vegan bacon, too!
Here’s the printable recipe for my Beet & Black Bean Burgers! I hope you’ll rate and/or comment below to let me know what you think 😉
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Beet & Black Bean Burgers (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup beet diced into 1/4” chunks
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1 1/2 cup refried black beans*
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seed kernels* finely chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cumin*
- 1 tsp. onion powder*
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika*
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper*
Toppings:
- 4 medium burger buns*
- 4 slices tomato
- 4 slices red onion
- 2 cups spinach*
- 4 oz. one small avocado, sliced or 4 tbsp. vegan mayo
*See blog post above for substitutions.
Instructions
- Lightly coat a skillet with cooking spray and add beets and carrots, cooking until tender.
- Add to a large mixing bowl along with refried beans, pumpkin seeds, and spices.
- Form into patties and grill (or pan-fry) over medium heat for 5-6 minutes per side.
- Layer each bun with avocado or mayo, spinach, tomato, and onion (or toppings of choice). Enjoy!
- Leftover burgers will keep in the fridge up to one week or in the freezer up to one month.
Notes
Also in Blog
SUMMER BERRY CHICKEN SALAD
SOUTHWEST CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
