The Ultimate Black Bean Burgers

This is the culmination of years of searching for a really good black bean burger. I have a lot of failures to my credit--crumbly, tasteless, too dry, too gooey...you get the idea. Then I found these babies, and my search is over. They hold together well, are soft in the middle, and have wonderful mushroom flavor.

Ultimate Black Bean Burgers

Source: Skinny Bovine's Kitchen

4-6 Burgers

1 dash olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (I used cheap white mushrooms, but if you're rich baby portobellos would probably rock)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you're hard-core)
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2-3/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Additional seasoned salt or garlic powder
4-6 buns, split and toasted
your choice of toppings

Preheat grill. (Or fry it in a pan if you, like me, have no grill)

In a large skillet, heat a dash of oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, cumin and paprika; cook until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Tear toasted bread into pieces and place into a food processor (or blender). Process until broken down into crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl. Put mushroom mixture, beans and cilantro into the food processor bowl and pulse until combined, but not smooth--leave some chunky bits. Scoop mixture into the bowl with the bread crumbs and season with seasoned salt to taste and fresh ground black pepper. Mix ingredients together, then divide into four to six equal portions. With dampened hands, shape each portion into 4-6 thick patties. Spray each patty with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little additional seasoned salt or garlic powder, if desired.

Place patties onto the grill or skillet over medium heat and cook until thoroughly heated through and the outside has crisped, about 7-8minutes per side. Serve burgers on toasted buns and with desired toppings.