I love veggie burgers but don’t enjoy the frozen varieties at the grocery store – some have a funny texture or after taste that keeps me from eating them. I also think that these are so easy to make and freeze that buying the other kind aren’t worth it! I usually start with the base of quinoa and black beans and add whatever veggies I have in the fridge. When freezing them I usually cook them and then place them in an air tight container spaced out on parchment paper. You can thaw them before cooking but I go straight from freezer to pan and they turn out great. Enjoy! 

Variations include adding spinach, some chopped roasted beets, red bell peppers, chopped white button mushrooms, etc. The burger itself is packed with protein but we often add a sunny side up egg on top for a little extra yum. When I am feeling fancy I make an herb aioli but most times I top our burgers with some pepperjack cheese, honey Dijon mustard, very slightly wilted kale, avocado and tomato with a sunny side up egg. They also freeze very well and just need to be heated in a pan with a little oil straight from the freezer – no need to thaw.

Makes 12 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa (equals about 2 cups cooked)
• Two 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• Two large jalapenos, finely chopped
• ½ small onion, chopped
• ½ green pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup corn
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 whole eggs (or egg whites)
• 1.5 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Rinse and drain 1 cup of dry quinoa. Place rinsed quinoa in small saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low/simmer for a gentle boil and cover. Check quinoa after 15 min and make sure the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover, and let cool prior to adding to remaining ingredients so the eggs do not get cooked accidentally.
2. Slightly mash the black beans in a mixing bowl so that you have some whole beans and some mashed. Add jalapenos, onion, corn, eggs, hot sauce, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil and mix well.
3. Add cooled quinoa and stir to combine.
4. Form patties about the size of your palm. Place 1 tsp oil in a frying pan or spray with cooking spray and heat on medium. Cook burgers approximately 5 min on each side under slightly browned. The burgers will tend to fall apart a little bit during the cooking process but can easily be pushed back to together.