Thursday, January 3, 2013

Black Eye Burger (The Easiest Veggie Burger Recipe Ever!)

We've had this one for a while, and we just couldn't wait any longer to share it with you. It's absolutely, hands-down, the easiest homemade veggie burger ever! Why? This recipe, unlike many of our other recipes, essentially has only 2 ingredients: well-seasoned beans or peas and dry quick-cooking oats. Mix the two together and...magic.

The oats provide texture and hold the patty together even better than any egg-based binder, so as a bonus, the burger patty is vegan, too. The mashed beans provide the moisture and the flavor, so make sure you're using flavorful beans or peas like our recipes for A Really Good Pot of Black-Eyed Peas or A Big Pot of Black Beans. You may use a can of beans as well -- just make sure they're tasty because that is pretty much what the burger is going to taste like.

Once you've made the patties, you can dress them up any way you like. We both love a good patty melt with garlicky pickles, grainy mustard, smoked cheddar, and sliced shallots served on butter-toasted wheat bread. These veggie burger patties would feel equally at home on a soft white bun with plenty of fresh arugula, olive-oil mayo, and thick slices of tomato. That, my friend, is up to you.

Black Eye Burger (The Easiest Veggie Burger Recipe Ever!)

1 1/2 cups drained black-eyed peas
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon canola oil (for pan frying)

In a large bowl, mash the black eyed peas using a potato masher or a large fork until no whole peas are left. Add the dry oat flakes and work them into the smashed peas using your hands. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Gather the mixture into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to rest for 15 minutes in order for the moisture to evenly distribute throughout.

Using wet hands, form the mixture into 3 or 4 patties. Make sure to smooth the edges of the patty because it makes for a more structurally sound patty.  For patty melts, we prefer a larger patty to fit the sliced bread which will yield 3 patties, but for a conventional hamburger bun, which is smaller, you will get 4 patties from this recipe.

In a large pan over medium heat cook the veggie burger patties in the canola oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve however you like.

(Makes 3 to 4 veggie burger patties.)

24 comments:

Sarah said...

I'm always looking for an easy veggie burger recipe. This looks great!

JL said...

YAY! You made a vegan burger! Thank you for that - this recipe looks awesome!

Eileen said...

Wait, that's it? Two ingredients plus seasoning? WELL. This may have to happen in the near to immediate future. :)

MissAlyssa said...

Wow that looks so simple and delicious. I've been looking for a good veggie burger recipe! I'll have to try this soon.

The Yogi Vegetarian said...

This is very similar to my recipe for beanburgers, except I usually add grated veg and ground almonds/ hemp seeds for a bit of extra nutrition, as we're vegan. Love the way you've presented it :)

BuffyG63 said...

Do you cook the oats first or put them in raw?

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

put the oat flakes in dry and raw!

Mehdi said...

Thank you so much, that kind of recipe really helps !

BuffyG63 said...

OK hon, thanks!

Nancy Rose Eisman said...

This could be a dream come true. Your burgers look amazing!

SHERPA said...

YUM this sounds delish!

Stephanie said...

I had so much trouble with these staying together. I'm not sure what I did wrong. :-(

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

Stephanie,

talk to me. These shouldn't be falling apart.

Drained, mashed beans + dry, uncooked quick cooking oats = a stiff dough. Let it rest, then form patties and cook.

I'm imagining that you either used cooked oats or didn't drain the liquid from the beans, maybe?

Katie said...

Awesome, I am ALWAYS on the hunt for good veggie burger recipes. I've never seen them done with black eyed peas before though, I have to try this!

Savina G said...

I made these using your recipe for A Really Good Pot of Black Eyed Peas. They were delicious! Tastier than anything I've bought. Be sure to drain the beans before mixing with the oatmeal! I'm definitely making another batch soon.

Anonymous said...

Help! I'm trying to make these for dinner tonight but I can't get it to stay together. It's SO dry! I drained the peas well, added oats but it definitely needs some kind of moisture to get it to hold..

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

If they are dry i'd add just a touch of broth, but it should be fine if you mash the beans and mix the oats well.

Squish the dough through your fingers a few times to make sure everything is well incorporated.

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

If they are dry i'd add just a touch of broth, but it should be fine if you mash the beans and mix the oats well.

Squish the dough through your fingers a few times to make sure everything is well incorporated.

Abby said...

These were so good! Thanks for the recipe! :) Just a note: I found that if I kept my hands wet while making the patties, they stayed together much better.

Katie said...

If made in larger batches, would these freeze well?

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

These do freeze really well. Just freeze them on a sheet pan then stack them with wax paper between each patty.

The Mt. Ephraim Center said...

This recipe is not only easy, IT'S DELICIOUS! I just finished making mine and oh my word, they are SO YUMMY!

THANK YOU!

Ember Irvin said...

Do you think this might bake in the oven?

The Chubby Vegetarian said...

Sure! You can make them. Just brush them with oil first so that they don't just dry out.