Pub-Grub Veggie Burgers

I made these burgers over the summer for the July newsletter at work. (Yes, this is the part of the blog where I slowly slog through the backlog of recipes I've accumulated!) I was writing about whether barbecuing causes cancer and I essentially concluded that grilling vegetables minimizes the production of the carcinogenic compounds often associated with BBQ.

I was warned that homemade veggie burgers often lack integrity for grilling, so I perused Lukas Volger's Veggie Madness (he did write Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, after all) and chose the one that I thought would most likely survive grilling. Lukas's Pub-Grub Veggie Burgers are made of a purée of black beans and chickpeas (as opposed to grated vegetables), held together by a matrix of eggs and cheese.


Don't try this at home
Alas, homemade veggie burgers and barbecues are not meant to be - these guys got stuck on the grill as I cooked them and I had to take the whole thing off and clean it so that B. wouldn't get mad at me :S

So unfortunately, when it comes to homemade veggie burgers, they will have to be cooked either on the stovetop, on an electric grill, or in the oven. If you want to slap them on the grill, they can be parcooked then frozen before being reheated on the barbecue. Fortunately, this recipe makes 10 patties at a time and is very easy to put together -

As I mentioned, first you whirr together black beans and chickpeas, along with eggs, onion and chili powder in the food processor.

  

For you nutrition nerds - between the eggs and beans, these veggie burgers pack in a lot of protein. The beans also offer fibre, phosphorus, potassium, iron and folate. I like the use of chili powder in this because it lends a smoky flavour, and in a way it's customizable - if you have a brand you like, great, if you have a homemade blend that you use, even better!

Anyway, then you mix in grated cheese (I used monterey jack), chopped parsley and panko. Regular breadcrumbs will work too - in fact, one of our newsletter subscribers tried the recipe with oats, and it worked great!


Serve on a whole grain bun with your favourite compliments - some crisp romaine lettuce, fresh tomato (ok, maybe not anymore), thin slivers of onion and a dash of mustard might be a good start!


Since I find 19 oz cans of beans are much more common here, I scaled up the recipe - if you do have 14 oz cans, please refer to the original recipe for measurements.

Pub-Grub Veggie Burgers
Adapted from Lukas Volger's Veggie Madness
Makes 10 patties

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 × 19 oz (540 mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked)
• 1 × 19 oz (540 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked)
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) chili powder
• ⅓ cup (85 mL) parsley, chopped
• 2 cups (500 mL) panko, bread crumbs or oats
• 1 cup grated melting cheese, i.e. monterey jack, muenster, mozzarella or fontina

1. If baking patties (as opposed to pan-frying), preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine the onion, eggs, beans and chili powder in a food processor and pulse until combined. Turn the bean mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in the parsley, panko, and cheese. Shape into 10 patties.
3. Bake patties on prepared cookie sheet for 15 minutes or pan-fry in oil over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Make Ahead Tip: Let cool before wrapping and freezing individually for several months. When ready to eat, cook on a well-oiled grill on medium-high for 5-7 minutes per side, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 325˚F until heated through.

 

Nutrition Information (per patty): 262 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated, 0 g trans), 84 mg cholesterol, 35 g carbohydrate (7 g fibre, 4 g sugar), 14 g protein, 416 mg sodium. An excellent source of thiamine (vitamin B₁), folate (vitamin B₄), vitamin K, iron, manganese and selenium. A good source of riboflavin (vitamin B₂), vitamin B₁₂, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.