This burger was inspired by my trip to Atlanta and dinner at the Vortex. The Vortex features many unhealthy, but delicious things on its menu, such as tater tot fondue. One of the burgers caught my eye though ... guacamole burger. While waiting to order, I was asked if I was a vegetarian. The question amused me, if only because a good steak continues to be my favourite meal. However, as I started to explain that I'm not, but I don't really cook with meat that often, I realized I'm closer to vegetarianism than I've ever been. And as I looked at the description of the guacamole burger, it hit me that it's really the perfect set-up for a black bean burger instead of beef. Beans go so much better with guacamole than beef (If you're more traditional with regards to burgers, you should check out this one. Once upon a time, it was my go to burger recipe.)!
I decided to bake this burger rather than fry/grill it. I took other people's suggestions and added an egg to keep it together better, but it made my mixture a bit too liquidy so I needed to add more breadcrumbs. It might've been because my breadcrumbs were a bit large (pulverized old baguette from the freezer) or because I didn't use canned beans (I used 1/2 cup dry, soaked, then cooked, and added 1/2 tsp of epazote for good measure). I wasn't too impressed with the burger itself, but the combination is too good to stop me from sharing!
This recipe makes 2 large burger patties.
Guacamole Burger (loosely adapted from epicurious)
Ingredients
1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained (or 1/2 cup dry, see above)
1/3 cup chopped red onion (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dry breadcumbs
2 tablespoons salsa (the original calls for chunky, but I used some smooth tomatillo salsa)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg
enough guacamole to slather two burgers
cheese of your choice (Monterrey Jack was my first choice, but I decided to use the cheddar I had wasting away in the fridge)
2 hamburger buns
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mash beans in medium bowl.
3. Mix in onion (powder), garlic powder, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons salsa, and cumin. Stir in egg if using. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Using moistened hands, shape bean mixture into two 3- to 4-inch-diameter patties.
5. Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Top patties with cheese. Put in buns and slather with guacamole. Garnish with additional toppings if desired.
The Atlanta trip made it on to your blog! Hurray.
ReplyDelete-Michael