I was a little bit skeptical about eating like a vegetarian at first. I couldn’t understand how anyone could stay full without eating meat. Obviously, I was rather ignorant, because I would ask the token question, ‘Oh how do you get all of your protein in’, like I had some kind of invested interest in protein.  What I do have an investment in is eating, and vegetables, and trying new things. 

I remember when veggie burgers were a thing for a while. I feel like it was in the mid 90’s. I remember them as brown little discs, usually frozen, and always uniformly shaped and colored. Sometimes they had pieces of corn sticking out. Not super appetizing. This is NOT that type of burger! This one is fresh and full of flavor AND it is really good for you, lots of healthy benefits here!! 

Healthy Highlights from this recipe:

• Sautéing the carrots and onions: Carrots contain a high level of beta-carotene, which is a fat-soluble nutrient, cooking them with oil will lead to greater absorption (Hornero-Mendez & Minguez Mosquera, 2007). Beta-carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body and is important for regulating the immune system. Onions are rich in quercetin, which is an antioxidant that has a protective effect in reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Sautéing an onion increases the amount of quercetin by 7 – 25% (Lombard, Peefley, Geoffriau, Thompson, & Herring, 2005).

• Black Beans: Contain the second highest level of antioxidant activity, behind lentils. Antioxidants, in this case, are natural substances that prevent or delay some types of ell damage. Increase your nutrient intake even further by using canned beans, the high heat of the canning process enhances the nutritional content of the previously dried beans  (Xu & Chang, 2008) .

Burger Up’s Marathon Burger inspired this recipe, it was the first veggie burger I ever fell in love with. Not to brag, but my husband says he likes these better, so……. I eat one of these guys the day before most of my races if I can (and by most of my races I mean the one I typically run in April).

If you’re looking for something healthy, easy, and quite versatile, this would be a great recipe for you!  Make these delightful little burgers and post a picture of them on Instagram! Tag #itsallofit so I can see your creations!! Follow my account at @corrielanderson so you can see another way to enjoy these burgers here.

Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burger

Author: Corrie Anderson        

Recipe Type: Entree          

Cuisine: Vegetarian                                                                                                        

Serves: 6 - 8 

Print this recipe! 

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can of black beans (rinsed)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon vegetable bullion
• 1 large carrot (shredded or finely cut)
• 1 stalk celery, finely cut
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup chopped white onion
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 1-teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 dash of ground cloves
• 1 dash of cinnamon
• Splash of Worschestire Sauce
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350° and prepare a cookie sheet by greasing it or by using parchment paper.
2. Rinse your quinoa off before you cook it. Put the water, quinoa, and vegetable bullion in a pot and bring it to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cover, continue cooking for about 15 minutes. You will know it’s done when you see little sprouts coming out. While the quinoa is cooking, start preparing the vegetables. 
3. Heat up a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the pan is warmed up, add in the red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and stir. Next add celery, carrots, and onion to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are almost translucent. At this point, add in the garlic and cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, put the walnuts into the food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Then add the quinoa, cooked vegetables, and black beans to the food processor and pulse. Add a ½ cup of the panko breadcrumbs and pulse. Once mixed, taste and add spices if needed and according to your liking. To help the burgers stick together, put the mixture into the fridge for about 5 to 10 minutes. 
5. Add the remaining cup of breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or onto a plate.  Ball up your burgers, roll them in the breadcrumbs, and place them onto your prepared cookie sheet. Flatten them out a little, then spray or brush each side of the burgers with olive oil. Bake for about 7 minutes on each side or until they are a little bit browned. While they are baking, start assembling your toppings! I like to put kale and tomatoes on these in addition to a super easy avocado cream, which is basically avocado, lime juice, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs. 

Notes: If your burgers are crumbly or too wet, you can add more bread crumbs and you can pat them with a paper towel before baking!

Serving Size: 1      Calories:  280      Fat: 7 g     Saturated Fat: 0 g     Carbohydrates: 48 g     Sugar: 4 grams     Sodium: 347 mg     Fiber: 7 g     Protein: 11 g