Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

For the black bean patties:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

For the burgers:

• 6 hamburger buns, sliced
• 6 pieces of lettuce
• ¼ cup ketchup or mayonnaise
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender and nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a plate to cool off for 5 minutes.
2. Gently pat dry the rinsed and drained black beans. Set aside 1 cup of the black beans and transfer the rest into a food processor.
3. Add the sautéed onions along with the rest of the ingredients (breadcrumbs, feta cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper) into the food processor. Pulse mix on and off for 1 minute until coarsely chopped. Alternatively, you can mash everything with a fork or potato masher in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
4. Transfer the bean mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the reserved cup of black beans. Stir together until evenly distributed. This creates some texture and makes the patties a bit firmer.
5. Take ½ cup of the bean mixture at a time and use your hands to shape into 6 large patties.
6. To cook, you can pan fry, grill, bake, or air fry the patties.
7. Preheat the grill on medium-high until hot. Brush some oil onto the grilling grate and place patties on top. Brush some more oil on top of the patties as well. Cook for 3-5 minutes and then carefully flip over and cook on the other side.
8. Slice the hamburger buns and toast the slices on the grill, if desired.
9. On the bottom half of each hamburger bun, add a piece of lettuce and a patty on top.  a patty. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons Ketchup or mayo (or both) on top of the patty, and top with a slice of tomato. Place the top half of the bun on top to assemble the hamburger.
10. Serve immediately.