GLUTEN & SOY FREE VEGAN BEAN BURGERS

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I love these bean burgers.  They are so flavorful and delicious!  They make a healthy, low-fat, satisfying meal for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I made one batch with black beans (my personal favorite) and one with kidney beans.  This recipe will also work with beans such as pinto, red, navy and cannellini.
     I used to make these on the grill for my son when we were having a barbeque. They are very delicate and it takes some care to keep them together on the grill.  Now I like to broil them as they get browned on the outside like they would on a grill and no special handling is necessary to keep them together.  I suppose you can also pan-fry them, but why add the extra calories?
     These bean burgers are great on burger rolls, over salad greens or any way that you would serve a regular burger.  

A burger made with Kidney beans on the left
and a burger with Black beans on the right.

GLUTEN & SOY FREE VEGAN BEAN BURGERS

Makes 4-6 burgers depending on how big you make them.

Ingredients

1 14-oz. can or 2 cups	Kidney, Black or similar Bean of choice.
1 large	Onion - chopped
2 cloves	Fresh Garlic - crushed into a paste
10 oz.	Fresh Mushrooms - divided
3 Tbs.	Tapioca Flour
3 Tbs.	Sorghum Flour
1 tsp.	Cumin - ground
1 tsp.	Coriander - ground
1/2 tsp.	Turmeric - ground
1/2 tsp.	Sea Salt
1/4 tsp.	Black Pepper
1/2 tsp.	Onion Powder or Granulated Onion
1 Tbs.	Olive Oil - for cooking the onions and mushrooms

     

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler.  Place the rack about 4-6-inches from the heating element.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.  Use a soy-free cooking spray or olive oil to grease the foil. (I forgot to grease the foil on the black bean ones and the burgers came off fairly easily with some scraping using a spatula and they turned over without breaking apart.  With some oil they came off a lot easier.)
2. Take 1/3 of the mushrooms and chop them with a knife.  Take the rest of the mushrooms and pulse them several times in the food processor until finely minced.

   

   Mushrooms after pulsing in the food processor.

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until the onion is transparent.  
4. Add all the spices and then stir and cook for one minute.
5. Add all the mushrooms.  The mushrooms will release liquid, sauté until this liquid cooks off.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

   

   Onions, garlic, mushrooms and spices after all done.

6. In a large bowl mash the drained beans.  I like to use a potato masher, but you can use a fork also.

   

   Red beans before mashing with a potato masher.

   
   

   

   Black beans all mashed up.

7. Add the cooked onion mixture and flours to the mashed beans in the bowl.  Mix together well. 

   

   Burger mixtures ready to form into burgers.
   Black beans used on left and kidney beans on the right.

8. Divide the bean mixture into the desired size burgers.  I scooped out the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and then used wet hands to shape each burger. 

   

   Raw kidney bean burgers shaped on the baking sheet.

9. Broil for 8-12 minutes a side.  Cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the burgers and the temperature of your oven.  To prevent burning them, check the burgers after 5 minutes to see how fast they are browning and adjust your cooking time accordingly. (If the burgers are raw use the longer cooking time; if they are already browning use the shorter time.)

   

   Black bean burgers broiled on one side.
   (I forgot to grease this foil, but the burgers turned over without any problems.)

GLUTEN & SOY FREE VEGAN BEAN BURGERS Makes 4-6 burgers depending on how big you make them. Ingredients 1 14-oz. can or 2 cups Kidney, Black or similar Bean of choice. 1 large Onion - chopped 2 cloves Fresh Garlic - crushed into a paste 10 oz. Fresh Mushrooms - divided 3 Tbs. Tapioca Flour 3 Tbs. Sorghum Flour 1 tsp. Cumin - ground 1 tsp. Coriander - ground 1/2 tsp. Turmeric - ground 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder or Granulated Onion 1 Tbs. Olive Oil - for cooking the onions and mushrooms Directions Preheat the broiler. Place the rack about 4-6-inches from the heating element. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. Use a soy-free cooking spray or olive oil to grease the foil. (I forgot to grease the foil on the black bean ones and the burgers came off fairly easily with some scraping using a spatula and they turned over without breaking apart. With some oil they came off a lot easier.) Take 1/3 of the mushrooms and chop them with a knife. Take the rest of the mushrooms and pulse them several times in the food processor until finely minced. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until the onion is transparent. Add all the spices and then stir and cook for one minute. Add all the mushrooms. The mushrooms will release liquid, sauté until this liquid cooks off. Turn off the heat and set aside. In a large bowl mash the drained beans. I like to use a potato masher, but you can use a fork also. Add the cooked onion mixture and flours to the mashed beans in the bowl. Mix together well. Divide the bean mixture into the desired size burgers. I scooped out the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and then used wet hands to shape each burger. Broil for 8-12 minutes a side. Cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the burgers and the temperature of your oven. To prevent burning them, check the burgers after 5 minutes to see how fast they are browning and adjust your cooking time accordingly. (If the burgers are raw use the longer cooking time; if they are already browning use the shorter time.)