Black Bean Quinoa Burgers with Green Goddess Sauce

Thanks to sweet potato, quinoa and black beans, these smoky vegetarian burgers are packed with nutrition and come together quickly. Like many homemade veggie burgers, they don’t behave famously on the grill, so I pan fry them and handle them gently; they’re supposed to be soft in texture. In terms of logistics, the burgers must chill for at least two hours, so plan for that when mapping out your day. You’ll have leftovers of this creamy, super herby Green Goddess sauce and we use it as a veggie dip, sandwich spread, or dressing for pasta salads.

Ingredients

Green Goddess Sauce (Makes about 1 cup):

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Best Foods mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup (15g) roughly chopped basil

1/2 cup (12g) roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup (10g) roughly chopped chives

3 tablespoons (15g) diced green onions

pinch kosher salt, plus more to season

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to form patties

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked black beans)

2/3 cup (135g) mashed cooked sweet potatoes (from 1 large roasted sweet potato)

1/2 cup (20g) lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cup (180g) cooked quinoa (or brown rice or farro)

5 tablespoons whole wheat flour

To Serve:

4-6 toasted whole wheat buns

lettuce leaves, optional

2 avocados, pitted and sliced

Instructions

Make the Green Goddess Dressing: Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds. Taste and add additional pinch (or two) of salt, if you’d like.

Make the Black Bean Burgers: In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering and add the onion. Sauté until fragrant and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes to avoid sticking.

Reduce the heat and add the garlic. Stir well and cook for another 1 minute.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the onion mixture along with the beans, sweet potatoes, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika, chile powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Pulse to form a thick, chunky puree. Spoon mixture out into a large bowl, fold in the quinoa and flour, and stir to combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate mixture for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days

When you’re ready to cook the burgers, lightly oil your hands and divide the mixture into equal portions. Shape each into patties about 1-inch thick.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat and set patties into skillet (you’ll likely only be able to cook 3-4 at a time, depending on size of your skillet). Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Add a little more oil to the pan if the burgers begin to stick. Serve with lettuce, avocado and Green Goddess Sauce.

Planning Ahead: Cooked or un-cooked, the burgers will keep well for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator, or you can freeze the un-cooked burgers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Cooked burgers can be done in advance and reheated in a 325 F oven for 10 minutes.