Easy Black Bean Burger with Tahini Slaw

Meet my go-to easy black bean burger.

I spent many years trying several different veggie burgers and I finally found my favorite. Current favorite I should say. I’ll probably find a new favorite next year… but for now, this is my go-to burger.

Why is it my current favorite? Here’s why:

1. It holds together when cooking and eating.
2. It’s full of flavor from herbs, spices, garlic and onions. I don’t want a veggie burger that tastes like beef. I want flavor from plant-based ingredients. Burgers and veggie burgers are two different things!
3. It has texture. It’s not overly soft, nor is it dry.
4. It’s not complicated. I wanted something simple that I can make over and over again.
5. It’s nutritious!

I wanted to share a simple black bean burger. If there’s one thing I don’t like when making veggie burgers, it’s ending up with a lot of dirty dishes. For this recipe, I went with raw onions and garlic. Don’t get me wrong, I love the flavor that comes with sauteed onions and garlic, but I wanted a burger that required only one bowl (and one food processor). No baking sheet to roast the nuts, no skillet to cook the onions and garlic, no bowl to make a flax egg. If you prefer, you can certainly cook the garlic and onions in this recipe as well! You could also roast the nuts and seeds if you want.

Like I said, this black bean burger is very simple. All you need is a food processor to process the ingredients and a large bowl to mix everything together. Honestly, you could even make them without a food processor. Buy bread crumbs instead of processing toasted bread. Mash your black beans with a fork in the large bowl. Chop your nuts and seeds with a knife… It works! I just prefer to make them in the food processor to ensure that everything is well chopped or mashed so that the burgers hold together nicely. If you’re careful to chop everything well though, I’m sure the burgers would be a success!

I probably made these black bean burgers 6 times in the last 2 weeks. I have 2 large freezer bags full of patties, which should hold me until Christmas. Maybe. I love freezing these burgers for quick weeknight dinners. Here’s my favorite way to freeze them: Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Form the patties and line them up on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the burgers are frozen. You can then transfer the frozen patties in a large freezer bag. That’s it! This way, the burgers don’t stick together when they freeze.

My next goal was to make these burgers as nutritious as possible. No salted or sweetened sauces mixed in, not too much salt, yet filled with nutritious ingredients and flavor. That being said, I made my black bean burger with a base of black beans (obviously), walnuts, sunflower seeds and veggies. I also used homemade whole wheat bread crumbs (toasted bread thrown in the food processor). The result? A black bean burger filled with fiber (from the beans, vegetables, whole wheat bread and nuts), healthy fats (from the nuts and seeds) and protein.

As for flavor, I used a mix of smoked paprika, garlic powder, fresh garlic, onions, parsley and even some tomato paste. All together, it almost gives a BBQ flavored burger, without adding any BBQ sauce.

A few notes on allergies. My friend Catherine tested a gluten-free version with success. She used gluten-free bread and gluten-free all purpose flour. Finally, if you want a nut-free burger, try replacing the walnuts with more sunflower seeds.

One last thing about this black bean burger: The tahini slaw. I think it’s no secret – I’m obsessed with tahini. I often top my veggie burgers with a bit of cabbage and tahini sauce, so I thought I’d share it with you guys. It’s very simple. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, vinegar, water and garlic. Chop the purple cabbage and stir it in the sauce until evenly coated. You could also add some carrots! That’s it. I can honestly just eat it as is, but it’s especially good on top of a burger. It’s also completely optional. I also like this burger with the classic mustard, ketchup, tomato, cheese and lettuce. It’s up to you!

If you try this recipe, make sure to tag your photo #unsweetenedcaroline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Don’t forget to also tag me @unsweetened.caroline on Instagram so I can see your creations!