The perfect bean burger

Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
  • 460g cooked black beans (2 x 400g tins, drained)
  • 200g sweetcorn
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1tsp smoked or regular sea salt
  • 20g fresh coriander (stalks and leaves finely chopped)
  • 1 egg (whisked)
  • 180g cream crackers (crushed)

1 Place the garlic in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.

2 Add the beans, sweetcorn, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and coriander.

3 Pulse until the mixture has been combined and some of the corn and beans pureed. You need to avoid the entire mixture becoming a wet mush so blitz only a little.

4 Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the egg and cracker crumbs. The mixture should combine nicely into a workable "dough". This whole process can easily be done in a bowl with a potato masher or fork.

5 Using wet hands shape into six equal sized patties. Place on a plate and cover with cling film. Leave to rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

6 Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little olive oil and fry the burgers for about four minutes on each side until golden.

7 Serve in warmed bread rolls with sweet potato wedges, salad, sour cream and guacamole.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer