UNITED STATES NEWS

A veggie burger even Memorial Day meat eaters will love

May 25, 2023, 6:04 AM

While meat lovers look forward to a Memorial Day barbecue, many people might be looking for a vegetarian option.

With their high protein content, black beans lend meaty substance to veggie burgers. Too often, though, the patties turn to mush. So for this recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, we went looking for ways to improve their texture. The answer was three-fold.

First, we only mash the beans coarsely so that when combined with other ingredients, we’re not left with a smooth paste. Second, we incorporate a significant amount of quinoa — two-thirds of a cup to one 15½-ounce can of beans — to vary texture with little pops of the nutty, high-protein grain (though technically it’s a seed). And finally, we pan-fry the patties until browned and crisp.

To ensure they don’t fall apart, we don’t rinse the beans; the starchy liquid clinging to them helps bind the mixture. We also add egg and panko breadcrumbs, and chilling the formed patties in the refrigerator for 15 minutes firmed them up for easier flipping in the hot skillet.

Flavored with scallions, cumin and paprika, these vegetarian burgers are terrific sandwiched between buns with your favorite fixings. But they’re also satisfying on their own with a tossed green salad.

White, red or rainbow (tricolor) quinoa all work well, so use whatever you have. If you purchased pre-rinsed quinoa, there’s no need to rinse and drain it before cooking.

Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers

https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/quinoa-black-bean-burgers

Start to finish: 1½ hours (20 minutes active)

Servings: 6

⅓ cup quinoa (see headnote), rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

15½-ounce can black beans, drained but not rinsed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

2 scallions, finely chopped

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika OR chipotle chili powder

3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

In a medium saucepan, stir together the quinoa, a pinch of salt and ⅔ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover, reduce to low, and cook without stirring until the quinoa absorbs the liquid, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then drape a kitchen towel across the pan and re-cover. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, transfer to a small plate and cool to room temperature, stirring once or twice, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, using a fork or a potato masher, coarsely mash the black beans. Add the quinoa, egg, panko, scallions, cumin, paprika and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Form into six 3-inch patties and place on a large plate. Refrigerate, uncovered, to firm up the patties, about 15 minutes.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the patties and cook until browned and crisp on the bottoms, about 5 minutes. Using a wide spatula, flip the patties and cook until browned and crisp on the second sides, about another 2 minutes.

Optional garnish: Sliced cheese OR sliced tomato OR sliced onion OR lettuce leaves OR sliced pickles OR mayonnaise OR a combination

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap

United States News

Associated Press

Trump and DeSantis will hold dueling campaign events in Iowa with the caucuses just six weeks away

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ron DeSantis plans on Saturday to complete his campaign promise to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties, a timeworn tactic for presidential candidates hoping to make their mark in the leadoff state over months mingling with voters at the state’s diners, cookouts and Pizza Ranches. But the Florida governor’s moment, […]

38 minutes ago

FILE - Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is shown before administering the oath of office t...

Associated Press

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor paved a path for women on the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — One fall day in 2010, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor slipped into the courtroom where she worked for nearly 25 years to take in an “amazing” sight. The first — and for 12 years, the only — woman on the high court saw three women in black robes among the […]

57 minutes ago

Associated Press

US Navy plans to raise jet plane off Hawaii coral reef using inflatable cylinders

HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. Navy plans to use inflatable cylinders to lift and roll a jet plane off a coral reef in Hawaii before removal from the ocean waters where the aircraft crashed on Nov. 20. Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 who is leading the salvage effort, said […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Las Vegas police search for suspect after 5 homeless people are shot, killing 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Five homeless people were shot in Las Vegas on Friday, two of them fatally, and police were searching for a lone suspect, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. near a freeway overpass in the northeastern part of the city, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Mark Lourenco. […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Judge rejects calls to halt winter construction work on Willow oil project in Alaska during appeal

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge in Alaska on Friday rejected requests from environmental groups to halt winter construction work for the massive Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope while the groups’ legal fight over the drilling project wages on. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason just last month upheld the Biden administration’s […]

4 hours ago

FILE - Rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Frank Rocco Giustino, who skippe...

Associated Press

Lawsuits against Trump over Jan. 6 riot can move forward, appeals court rules

Lawsuits against Donald Trump over the U.S. Capitol riot can move forward, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

4 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Dierdre Woodruff

Interest rates may have peaked. Should you buy a CD, high-yield savings account, or a fixed annuity?

Interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades, and it looks like the Fed has paused hikes. This may be the best time to lock in rates for long-term, low-risk financial products like fixed annuities.

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

A veggie burger even Memorial Day meat eaters will love