I’ve been on a quest for the perfect veggie burger. While it’s great to find a great veggie burger at a restaurant, it’s even more rewarding to be able to make a tasty veggie burger at home. And black bean burgers are my favorite because they’re so filling. Several online recipes caught my eye. Not only are they simple to make, they’re also easy to make vegan and gluten-free. Fellow RVers with dairy or gluten allergies will find that these black bean burger recipes will satisfy your craving for a hearty burger.

The first recipe I found on the Whole Foods corporate website in their recipe section. While the recipe was dairy-free, I needed to modify it just a bit to make it gluten-free as well. I also kicked the hot sauce to the curb, reduced the amount of onion and grilled them before forming the patties, and added some salsa to give it extra flavor. What I ended up with was a vegan and gluten-free black bean burger that is a little crumbly on the outside and mushy on the inside, but is an overall tasty burger.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax, 3 tablespoons water)
  
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  
• 1/2 Tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
  
• 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
  
• 1 Tablespoon salsa
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  

Instructions:
Rinse and drain black beans and put in a food processor. Prepare the flax egg by soaking the flax in the water for about five minutes. Chop the onion and sauté in Earth Balance margarine. Once finished, add the onion, along with the rest of the ingredients, to the food processor and pulse until well blended. Cook on medium-high heat in a pan anywhere from 10-20 minutes until the burgers are crispy on the outside. Serve on gluten-free buns with your usual favorite condiments.

Servings: Makes 4 honking huge burgers or 6 sliders

Baked Black Bean Burger

This next recipe I based on a black bean veggie burger recipe at AllRecipes.com. The reason I was attracted to this one, besides simplicity, is because it’s baked. This vegan/gluten free burger browns nicely on each side and tastes delicious. Plus, one of the most exciting features is that the burger stays intact!

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax, 3 tablespoons water)


• ¼ onion, finely chopped


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• ½ Tablespoon Earth Balance margarine


• ½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs


• 1 Tablespoon salsa, ketchup or marinara sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and drain the black beans and then prepare your flax “egg.” Next, chop up the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté the onion in a pan at medium-high heat. Once the onions are almost done, throw in the garlic for a minute or two. Now put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Put them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes on each side. Use gluten-free buns and garnish with your favorite condiments. Now enjoy!

Servings: Makes 4 honking huge burgers or 6 sliders