Who doesn’t like a good old juicy burger?! I will be honest and first to admit that I love everything about burger – aromas of grilled meat, messy ketchup and mustard all over my face and fingers, a huge bite, variety of layers, a savoury pickle in the middle, gooey cheese on a patty, a bun with crispy edges. I think pub burgers, heck even McDonald’s burgers, taste delicious! Yes, I think so! Of course I would never eat them because for obvious reasons, and because I can easily make a healthy burger at home that tastes as delicious and not nearly as deadly => sweet potato burger with BBQ sauce.
This week I posted on all my Facebook channels this message, after seeing someone posting about walking for Relay for Life:
I feel we live in a hypocritical world…
We do so much for Cancer Research like walking, running, donating and yet we don’t do equally the same for Cancer Prevention like avoiding processed foods, toxins and GMOs with it. The “best” one is fundraising money to cure cancer holding a Pub Night – a burger with beer. Does anyone feel the same way or am I alone thinking Prevention is more important than Research?!
Don’t get me wrong, research is good but I’m sure 150% not as much money and effort is spent on stopping processed foods in our lives that cause so much cancer in the first place! No other country eats as much junk as North America, and no other country has so much cancer as North America. The link is obvious and if you disagree I suggest you do research. I understand there is air, pollution, environment blah-blah-blah but processed food is the main cause for cancer. Look at old videos circa President Kennedy times and tell me if crowds look the same as you see now walking into any store (I don’t think there are larger crowds anywhere else in this hiding behind garage doors society). Now think, did you hear of so many people sick with cancer back then?! We all know the answer.
So, I will be making delicious burgers at home and talking about organics, GMOs and processed foods until I die!
We have never been huge burger fans because we are Europeans. We like them but it wouldn’t be our first choice at a restaurant, even back then. Burgers are not traditional Russian or Ukrainian food, however we have “kotlety” a.k.a ground chicken burgers patties enjoyed with whole grains and salad on a side. Technically, burger can be healthy (see => spicy chicken burger), depends what it is made of and how it is served.
This year I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and making burgers. I already made healthy salmon burger recipe and now this black bean burger. To be further more honest, I was sceptical burger made with beans would taste anything like a burger. Like wouldn’t it be dry?! Truth is, once you dress it up with all traditional burger fixins, I swear it is the meatiest and tastiest zucchini burger ever!
My kids gobble them up every time and last time I tripled the recipe and froze many patties. I also made a decision to kiss “good bye” to my 10 year old greenish countertops this Fall. Considering I survive the deck renos this summer. I just can’t stand dark pictures anymore and running around kitchen with food for the purpose of pictures.
I also discovered organic sprouted whole wheat buns (look in a freezer section) in a health food store and a natural aisle of a grocery store (Superstore in Canada). So, now we can eat burgers!
I liked adding zucchini for extra moisture. And I loved a patty with breadcrumbs instead of oat flour but use what you have to use. Also chunky mashed beans are better than mushy in terms of texture, therefore I mashed them by hand.
Enjoy this juicy zucchini burger with meaty black beans and be healthy!
PrintBlack Bean Zucchini Burger
Black Bean Zucchini Burger Recipe — Meatiest, juiciest and tastiest veggie burger ever with black beans, brown rice and zucchini.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 patties 1x
Ingredients
Patty:
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked (measured after)
- 2 x 14 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 eggs, large
- 3/4 cup (1 small) grated zucchini, liquid squeezed out (measured after)
- 1 medium onion, grated*
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed*
- 1 cup oat flour (for GF version) or whole grain breadcrumbs (I prefer latter)**
- 11/4 tsp salt***
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced (more to taste)
- 2 – 4 tbsp coconut, avocado or sesame oil, for frying
Burger (use your imagination):
- 9 sprouted whole wheat buns (I like Silver Hills or Food for Life)
- Cheese (I use shredded organic cheddar)
- Lettuce (use in place of a bun for low carb version)
- Tomato slices
- Red onion slices
- Pickles
- Avocado, sliced
- Ketchup and mustard
Instructions
- Cook rice as per package instructions.
- In the meanwhile, in a large bowl, add beans and mash with a masher until coarse puree with some bean chunks forms. It doesn’t have to be smooth, in fact coarser texture means “meatier” burger. Add remaining Patty ingredients (except oil and don’t forget rice) and mix with spatula.
- Preheat large skillet on low – medium heat and swirl a tablespoon or two of oil to coat it generously. Scoop 1/2 cup Patty mixture and form into a patty, place on a skillet and proceed doing the same with remaining mixture. Fry for 7 – 8 minutes or until crispy and golden, on each side.
- To serve, I usually top desired amount of patties with a bit of shredded organic cheese, cover and cook on Low until cheese is melted. Transfer to a platter. Spread a bit of butter on each side of a bun, place inside side down in a skillet and fry until crispy edges appear. Obviously, place patty on a bun and serve with toppings.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Freeze: Lay patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze completely and transfer to a large Ziploc bag. Cook from frozen following recipe’s instructions + 5 minutes.
Notes
*I puree onions and garlic using Ninja cup attachment. **I make my own breadcrumbs by baking organic sprouted bread at 300 degrees F and then processing in a blender or food processor. ***I used my own cooked beans so you might need to use less salt if using canned.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
