Black Bean Rice Burgers with Guacamole

Black beans and rice give these patties some heft, not to mention serious amounts of fibre. The creamy avocado topping marries perfectly with the burgers and delivers a laudable amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

3 cups (750 mL) cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (250 mL) cooked whole grain rice
1 medium-sized carrot, shredded
1/3 cup (80 mL) ground flaxseed
1 large free-range egg
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
Grapeseed oil for grilling
6 whole grain buns (optional)
1 large avocado
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne, or to taste
1 medium-sized tomato, seeded and chopped

Add black beans to food processor container and blend until broken down but not completely smooth. You can also use a potato masher. Add rice, carrot, flaxseed, egg, 1 garlic clove, mustard, cumin, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, and black pepper; pulse until well combined. Form mixture into 6 equal-sized patties.

Preheat grill to medium. Brush burgers with oil and grill for 5 minutes per side, or until they have developed a crispy crust. If using buns, heat them on the grill for 1 minute, or until toasted.

In small bowl, mash together avocado, lime juice, 1 garlic clove, cilantro, cayenne, tomato, and remaining salt. Serve black bean burgers topped with guacamole.

Serves 6.

Each serving contains: 263 calories; 12 g protein; 10 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (2 g sugars, 13 g fibre); 221 mg sodium

Back in black

Black beans are an excellent meat substitute. These little black beauties contain high amounts of protein and iron. They’re an excellent source of energy for vegetarians who may have difficulty obtaining enough of these important nutrients in their diet.

source: "Veggie Burgers", alive #370, August 2013