Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers

Whenever I tell my burger-lovin' Midwestern family that we are having veggie burgers for dinner, it inevitably earns me the stink eye and a lot of groaning.  On more than one occasion, my husband has "just remembered" he needed to be somewhere else over the dinner hour.  I'm not kidding.

We have tried all of the frozen veggie burgers available in the grocery store, we have made several different black bean burger recipes, and all have garnered the same response.  The truth is, I have some complaints about the commercially available patties, too.  One problem I have with them is that many of them are soy based, and I'm not really a fan of soy (I know, a former vegetarian who doesn't do soy? Crazy.), and it seems to adversely affect my husband, so we generally avoid it.  Then there are the patties that mostly rely on gluten as a filler or binder, and I'm really not sure I feel gluten, on it's own, should hold such a high position in the main course of a meal (especially if it's going to be on a bun - it seems like overkill to me).  The grain and bean based ones are my favorite, but I really dislike biting into a hard grain of of rice, and most of them taste like, well, grain.

Of the homemade black bean burgers we've tried, several were very tasty, but didn't hold together well enough to be considered "burgers"; they worked much better as "cakes" to be eaten on their own rather than between the bun.  Also, many rely upon using a substantial amount of bread crumbs to bind them, and it doesn't seem logical to me to use something that is half bread already as something that should be eaten in a bun (see my issue with the gluten based veggie burgers above).  And then there is the problem with texture.  Texture, more than anything, is my family's biggest complaint.  On more than one occasion, "cat food" has been used as a description by at least one of them (which are decidedly not words any cook likes to hear about her dinner).  I'm less inclined to choose those types of descriptions because I understand that a veggie burger is simply not a hamburger, therefore it will not taste like one nor will it have the same texture.  However, it's very difficult to erase the psychological connection between bun and hamburger when dealing with burger lovers.

So, after much trial and error, I  have found a veggie burger that my family will not only tolerate, but that they actually like.  Yes, you read that correctly - they like them!  And as an added bonus, they are both soy and potentially gluten free (providing the oats are uncontaminated).

While the burgers have a tender inside, they stay together well enough to remain in the bun after biting into it without needing to cup your hands around the edges to keep the contents from mushing out the sides.  The beaten egg whites, the oats, and the cheese act as primary binders, so I was able to avoid using bread crumbs (which I think is ultimately what leads to the "cat food" texture).  The combination of kidney beans, pinto beans, and walnuts give it a "meaty" texture and flavor. The seasonings are subtle enough to handle mustard, pickles, ketchup and whatever else you would traditionally use to dress your burger.

This recipe makes 8-10 burgers, depending on the size.  They freeze very well, and if stored in individual patties between waxed paper, are very easy to grab and cook from frozen for a quick dinner or lunch.

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers
Makes 8-10 burgers

• 3/4 c walnuts
• 1 medium carrot, chunked
• 1/2 lg red onion, chunked
• 1 large clove of garlic (or 2 small ones)
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 c provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Place the walnuts into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and pulse until well chopped (but not ground).

Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; pulse several times until finely chopped.  Add oats, mushrooms, and cheese.  Pulse until well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients through the beans, and pulse several more times to combine and chop most of the beans (you may need to stir the ingredients a few times between pulses).

In a large bowl, use a wire whisk to beat the egg whites until frothy.

Pour the contents of the processor bowl into the egg whites and mix well.

Shape each patty into the desired size (the size of your bun), keeping them each uniformly 1/2 thick.

Stove top:  Heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season patties with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place as many burgers as will fit without being disturbed when the others are flipped (about 4 in a 12 inch skillet).  Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. *To prevent sticking, be sure there is enough oil for the release in the pan.

Oven:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Generously oil a baking tray with olive oil.  Bake patties 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. *Not putting enough oil on the sheet will cause the patties to stick.  While I have never tried it (I use enough oil to not have a problem), I would think that oiling parchment paper and placing the patties on the paper would also help prevent sticking.

From frozen:  Pour 1-2 Tbs olive oil in cold skillet; swirl around to coat the bottom.  Place frozen patties in cold skillet and heat to medium.  Flip patties when the bottom is golden and releases easily; about 6 or 7 minutes.  Cook the other side 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest about 1 minute.