Meat Free Monday One day a week can make a world of difference

Black Bean Burgers

Mary McCartney
  • Serves: Makes 6 burgers (approx. 8 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick)
  • Preparation: 20-30
  • Cooking: 5-10
  • Ready: 25

Satisfying meat free burgers which are delicious sandwiched between burger buns with all the toppings – sliced pickles, tomato, onion, lettuce, Thousand Island dressing and mustard!

Ingredients

  • 400 g tin black beans or kidney beans, drained
  • 2 tablespoons light olive oil, or 30 g butter, for cooking
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 140 g mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (for gluten-free option) or soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
  • 1 spring onion, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons buckwheat flour (for gluten-free option) or plain or spelt flour
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, or ½ teaspoon Marmite (optional)
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (if not cooking on the barbecue), for frying

Method

Put the beans into a large bowl and roughly mash them with a potato masher, or blend them in a food processor for a few seconds. You want them to keep some texture, so do not over-mash them.

Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a medium frying pan, then sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tamari (or soy sauce) and fry for a few more minutes, until most of the mushroom juice has evaporated.

Stir in the garlic, herbs, spring onion, chilli flakes and mashed beans, then allow the mixture to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and leave to cool slightly before mixing in the flour, nutritional yeast flakes (or Marmite) and black pepper to taste.

Divide the mixture into six portions and, using your hands, mould each portion into a patty shape (about 1.5 cm thick and 8 cm wide).

To fry the burgers, heat the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium to large frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown all over.

If cooking on the barbecue, chill the burgers in the fridge or freeze them for a couple of hours. Then grill on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.

Additonal notes

This recipe comes from Mary McCartney’s new cookbook, At My Table: Vegetarian Feasts for Family and Friends, out now published in hardback by Chatto & Windus.

Image copyright Mary McCartney.

“I make these burgers with black beans because they are packed with protein and fibre. If you don’t have black beans, then kidney beans are a great alternative. I love them sandwiched between a burger bun with all the toppings – sliced pickles, tomato, onion, lettuce, Thousand Island dressing (or mayo and ketchup) and mustard. My advice is to never skimp on the toppings!”

 

Carbon footprint

150 gCO2e per serving – 4.9% fair daily food emissions
Find out more at myemissions.green

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