Black bean burgers

Ingredients

0 of 15 out on the counter

• 3 cups no-salt-added black beans (two 15 oz cans), drained and rinsed
• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil (2 tsp for the onion, 1 tsp for the pan)
• 6 whole-wheat hamburger buns
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 6 medium tomato slices
• 6 inner romaine leaves

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Warm 2 tsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion with the garlic powder, cumin and paprika 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Scrape it into a large bowl and let it cool 5 minutes.
2. 2Whisk the egg, lime juice, salt and pepper into the onion, then stir in the oats. Let this stand 10 minutes so the oats drink up the egg.
3. 3Mash half the beans with a fork on a plate until pasty, and leave the other half whole. Fold both into the bowl until the mixture holds when pressed.
4. 4Pack the mixture into 6 patties about as wide as your bun and half an inch thick, a packed ½ cup each. Put them on a plate in the fridge for 15 minutes if they feel soft.
5. 5Wipe out the skillet and warm the last 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Cook the patties 5 minutes on the first side without moving them, until a brown crust forms. Flip once and cook 4 to 5 minutes more.
6. 6The patties are done when both sides are browned and the middle reads 160 °F (they hold egg). Toast the buns cut side down in the pan for 1 minute if you like.
7. 7Build each burger with a patty, avocado, a tomato slice and a romaine leaf on a bun.
8. 8Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat to 165 °F. To freeze, wrap cooled cooked patties one by one and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.