Vegan Burgers How-to
By Justyna Jurczykowska
Everybody loves burgers, even vegans! Here is a simple recipe that is very nutritious and extremely delicious. Homemade vegan burgers have far fewer calories than meat burgers, and you can add as many veggies as you like.
A regular burger from a chain restaurant is about 670 calories per serving. A typical vegan burger is between 100- 250 calories per serving, depending on the ingredients used.
This vegan burger is also on the low-calorie side. Also, there is no worry if the center of your burger is uncooked because all ingredients in this vegan burger can be eaten raw.
Add a side of baked (not fried) potato wedges and take comfort that your calorie count will be lower than one regular meat burger alone.
Recipe for patties
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 (15oz) can of black beans or kidney beans, rinsed well and drained
- 1 small carrot, shredded or finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of cornmeal (if you don’t have cornmeal, use regular flour – but cornmeal flour does enhance the flavor)
- 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro (add more if you like cilantro, or use parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 2-3 finely minced garlic cloves (optional)
Step 1: Cook onions in a small amount of oil until soft and slightly caramelized. Once cooked, move your onions to a medium-sized bowl. Allow to cool. Reserve the oil in the pan for later.
Step 2: Add all remaining ingredients (except the water) into the bowl with the onions. Mash all ingredients together to the desired consistency. If the mixture doesn’t want to hold together, add one tablespoon of water at a time until it no longer falls apart.
Step 3: Shape patties to match the size of your burger buns.
Step 4: Panfry your patties until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes on each side.
Step 5: Dress your burgers and enjoy.