Spicy bean burgers recipe

My most recent post demonstrates my current obsession with burgers and it doesn’t just end with eating out. Making them at home is not complicated and they can be made with a variety of ingredients – I’ve previously shared my tofu and bean burger but know that not everyone is a fan of tofu.

This burger recipe can be made with kidney or cannellini beans, or any other beans really – I reckon borlotti would work well. I use mashed potato to bulk it out however if you didn’t want to use potatoes you can omit these, or replace with sweet potato. Grated carrot also goes really well in these burgers. Essentially you can use any veg you want to bulk it out, or don’t bother with the veg and have predominantly bean patties (be aware though that you won’t get as many burgers).

As usual, there’s a bit of a kick to this dish but if spice isn’t your thing you can play about with the herbs and spices. I’d recommend at least salt and pepper and ideally some dried or fresh herbs if you aren’t using spices.

These are best grilled but can also be shallow-fried or barbecued. They will keep in an airtight container (cooked or raw) for 3 days. Serve in a bun or with salad and sides.

Spicy bean burgers

• Servings: 4
• Time: 40 mins
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Ingredients

• 1 tin of kidney or cannellini beans
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 cup of mashed potatoes
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes or ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp plain flour

Method

Drain and wash the beans. Simmer in water for about 10 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile heat the oil over a medium heat and saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cook until starting to brown. Add the carrot, potatoes, peas and ground coriander, chilli and ground cumin and cook until soft.

Drain the beans and mash them gently in a large bowl. Add the cooked vegetable mix to the bowl of beans and mash some more. Add salt and pepper to taste and the fresh coriander. Add the flour to help the mixture blend. If you have time chill the mix for 30 minutes as that will help it form more but you can cook them immediately if need be.

Divide the burger mix in to 4 portions and roll into balls. Flatten in to burger patties about 1.5cm thick.

These can either go direct on the barbeque – ensure it’s oiled so they don’t stick – or you can lightly grill them first and then reheat on the barbeque. Cook for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned, turning regularly with a slice. Be careful when doing this so they don’t fall apart and add a little more oil if required.