Interestingly, while I'm a lifelong vegetarian, I haven't always loved black bean burgers. It was unfortunate since up until a few years ago, that was the main substitute for meat. (I have always loved mushrooms, though!) However, even during that phase, a friend made me homemade black bean burgers with a recipe very close to this one. Since she'd already planned a vegetarian meal just for me, I said nothing, shot a look at my husband to ensure he wouldn't, and chomped away. And... it was delicious. I realized I'd been missing out with dry, flavorless versions at many restaurants that were only tossing in a vegetarian option as an overthought. I began to experiment with my own version and today, these are a favorite in my house.
Black beans do bring a lot of calories, but they are also incredibly filling with lots of vitamins and nutrients, so you don't need much to satisfy you. Just ensure you are buying low-salt or no-salt versions *and* rinsing them off really well. Not only is that key to getting the right texture in this recipe, but it also will get rid of any salt that is remaining. Otherwise, a healthy dinner will quickly leave your sodium skyrocketing. You'll also see I use a little bit of cheese inside mine for an extra burst of flavor and delightful surprise. You can easily leave this out if you prefer, or even tuck something else inside. Like... more guacamole. Who doesn't want more guacamole?!?
Time: 30 min
