i’m at a loss for adjectives besides “awesome” & “delicious,” but that’s what these are.  i just said, out loud, that i didn’t know what to day about these burgers & two people who ate them said, “oh those?  those were awesome.”

so there you go.

tom’s sister, a vegetarian, was in town for a baby shower about two weeks ago, and when we asked her if she would get to town in time for dinner, she said, “yeah, i’ll just eat a veggie burger or something,” thinking we would pick up a box of frozen ones on our trip to the grocery store.

but oh no, that’s not how we roll.  (not that there’s anything wrong with frozen veggie burgers.  i like them for lunch sometimes, or dinner when we’re pressed for time.)  i had a recipe i saw on guy’s big bite bookmarked for awhile & now it was time to rock. it.

they were a little chopping-intensive, nothing difficult though, so i decided to go ahead & double the recipe & freeze half.  good call!  they have fabulous flavor & don’t resemble anything remotely like some pseudo-meat processed burgers i have come across.  you can actually taste the veggies & i like that.  i might even triple it next time.

adapted from guy’s big bite

olive oil
3 tablespoons red onion, diced
1/4 cup button mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp jalapeno, diced
1 tablespoon artichoke, diced
4oz black beans, drained, not rinsed (1/2 of a 14.5oz can)
4oz chickpeas, drained, not rinsed (1/2 of a 14.5oz can)
4oz white beans, drained, not rinsed (1/2 of a 14.5oz can)
3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/2 tsp smoked, sweet paprika (don’t sweat, regular is fine. we just have an lb of this kind to use!)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
1 egg
salt & freshly cracked pepper

1.  in a large-ish saute pan, over medium heat, heat some olive oil.  saute all the veggie, but the beans.  cook until translucent.  remove & let cool slightly.

2.  in a mixing bowl, add the drained beans.  mash some.  we did it with the potato masher.  you don’t want to squish them all, just about half.  so the burger can really combine.

3.  add the cooked veggies to the halfway mashed beans.  add the oatmeal, spices, bread crumbs & egg.  season with salt & pepper.  thoroughly mix everything together.

4.  line a flat surface with some plastic wrap.  shape the burgers into sort of a elongated ball, place in the plastic wrap, wrap up & roll around to form a log (the diameter of your desired burgers).  refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5.  remove from fridge & slice into 4 patties (per single recipe).  in a saute pan, heat some more olive oil & saute the burgers for 2-3 minutes on each side.  put on a bun & top with desired toppings.

the only thing i might change the next time is the cooking method…ours got really crispy on the outside, which was fine, but i think i would prefer them to be a little softer.  maybe a lower cooking temperature, or just put them on the griddle & we’d have perfection!