Spicy Vegan Bean Burgers

A brilliant vegan/veggie staple- easy to make, economical and open to lots of creative variations! They can be as spicy or mellow as you like. You can also add more fresh veg – eg chopped peppers, celery. So raid the fridge and get experimenting! They can be fried or oven-baked too.

For a quick lunch/supper, make them the day before and chill for 30 minutes + before cooking. Then gently fry and add all the fixings (as our US friends say!)

The recipe consists of basic storecupboard ingredients but you can tart it up with posh relishes, vegan mayo, avocado slices or whatever else you can cram between a burger bun! The burgers themselves can also be tweaked flavour-wise by varying the veg, spices and herbs – and varying the beans. Try white beans with lots of garlic or whole cooked lentils with walnuts and… oh, go on, experiment!

If you’re short of time, try our cheatin’ version!

Gluten free
Wheat free
Reduced sugar, diabetic friendly
Quick meal
Low fat, low sugar
Freezable
Cheap
Kids recipe

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Total time

30 minutes

Cuisine

British

Meal

  • mains
  • lunches
  • sides-light-meals-and-salads

Servings

Makes 6-8 burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed OR 2 tsp garlic puree
  • 10ml/2tsp oil
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • ½ tsp mild chilli powder (or even less if you really hate hot spices)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin + more if you wish
  • 1 tin rinsed and drained pinto or kidney beans
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (a mild type) – or use a bit less regular English if that’s all you have
  • 1 tbsp soya sauce – use tamari for a gluten-free option
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 75g/3oz rolled oats – use either jumbo or porridge. If GF, use gluten-free oats, eg Nairn’s; Bob’s Red Mill; Alara etc
  • Oil spray or a drizzle of oil
  • Optional: breadcrumbs, home-made or bought; 1 pepper, finely chopped and fried in with the other veg; 1 stick celery, chopped fine ditto; 1 tsp smoked paprika – experiment!

To serve – choose from this list (or add your own ideas)

  • Vegan mayo, eg Follow Your Heart; Plamil (or make your own easily and very cheaply with our brilliant recipe here…)
  • Sliced avocado; sliced tomatoes
  • Relish
  • Tomato or BBQ sauce
  • Salad leaves
  • Alfalfa sprouts

Instructions

  1. Fry onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add a little water if mixture starts to stick – a tablespoon or two.
  2. Add grated carrot, chilli, cumin and any other spices you fancy. Fry for another minute or two, stirring to make sure nothing sticks.
  3. In a bowl, mash beans thoroughly with a potato masher. Add mustard, soya sauce, tomato purée and oats and mix all ingredients in thoroughly. You can also food process the mixture but avoid making it into a smooth goo. The burgers need some texture, so use the pulse function to avoid over-processing.
  4. With wet hands, form mix into burgers. If you want the breadcrumb option, dip each burger into the crumbs now. Flatten each one with back of wooden spatula or spoon. (Use a cup as a cookie cutter if you want them evenly round or use a burger press if you want a real pro look).
  5. If time, chill the burgers on a flat tray for at least 30 minutes – they are easier to cook and keep their shape better.
  6. Using a little oil or oil spray, heat a non-stick frying pan or wok. Fry the burgers gently for a few minutes on either side until they are brown on the outside and squidgy in the middle. Don’t worry if they fall apart, just squish them back together! Alternatively, bake them in a medium oven for 20-30 minutes, at about 180°C/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
  7. Serve with salad and baked potatoes, or on a wholemeal roll with some of the options listed above.

Optional extras / notes

30 minutes + minimum 30 minutes chilling time before cooking. Longer if oven-baked

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