Vegan Adzuki Bean Burgers

Small, red adzuki beans have a slightly sweet taste and are perfect for making these vegan bean burgers. They are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid and they are low in calories. If you can't find them or don't like the flavor, black beans are a great substitute.

Vegan Adzuki Bean Burgers

15 oz cooked adzuki beans

4 oz cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 medium onion

1/2 small zucchini

1 large handful spinach and/or kale

2 medium button mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1/2 t chipotle chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t red chili flakes

1/4 t turmeric

black pepper

salt

1/4 cup flour of your choice

lettuce

tomato

avocado

spicy brown mustard (optional)

If you are using canned beans, drain and gently rise them in a sieve or bowl. Place the beans into a bowl and mash them until they start to turn into a thick paste but still have some chunks of bean. Finely chop the onion, zucchini, greens and mushrooms.

Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil (I like macadamia nut oil). When the pan is hot, add the chopped veggies and sauté until the veggies wilt and become a little soft. The spinach and kale should still be bright green, but wilted. Do not over cook and dry out the veggies too much.

Add the cooked veggies to the mashed bean mixture. Finely mince or crush the garlic and add it to the mixture. Add the spices, and salt and pepper to taste. The spices can be adjusted to you liking. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour. If the mixture feels too soft or you plan on using it the next day, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture to dry it out a little more.

Heat a pan on medium heat with two tablespoons of oil. Form scoops of the bean mixture into patties that are approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 an inch thick. You can adjust the diameter based on your burger bun size, but if they get too big they will tear easily because the mixture is quite soft. Lightly dust the patties with flour of your choice and add them two or three at a time to the hot pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per size until golden brown.

Serve on buns (I like Portland French Bakery’s Pub Buns) with lettuce leaves, lightly salted tomato slices, avocado slices and a little spicy brown mustard if you like.

This recipe makes about 6 patties.

138 calories per burger patty.