Fiesta Black Bean Burgers

I've been on a veggie burger kick lately. So this Fiesta Black Bean Burger was another way to satisfy my craving for a toasty bun with pickles, crisp lettuce, tomato, onion and some saucey sauce on top. This burger had a melty slice of vegan cheese too. Loved these warmly spiced fiesta flavors!...

Veggie Burger Cravings

There is something so satisfying about a veggie burger - on a soulful level. Freshly made, with a mixture of warming and crisp and fresh ingredients, loads of flavor, handheld and just plain classic. Yup, I feel nourished from the inside out when I get a stacked veggie burger on my plate.

Black Bean Burger

I love bean-based veggie burgers and this one has a mixture of walnuts and black beans for a range of nutrients and savory flavors. This burger pairs really well with a melty slice of cheese! Not all veggie burgers do. But this one has a nice nutty, savory flavor that works so well with that bite from a vegan cheese.

Spice Appeal

This burger is also fun because it is packed with flavor from an array of warming Mexican spices like cumin and chipotle, as well as mild chilies mashed right into the burger to bring on a signature smoky flavor.

Toppings

For the toppings, I chose...

• avocado slices ( a must!)
• green leaf lettuce
• sliced tomato
• sliced onion
• vegan cheese - Colby Jack by Violife
• Veganaise with a pinch of chipotle powder and drizzle of maple syrup
• pickles! You can serve your pickles on the side or slice onto the burger. Pickled jalapeños would also work well!

For the bun, I did a sprouted grain bun, but any vegan burger bun would work!

Crisp Coating

The way I like to make my veggie burgers is to make then a tad on the wet side, the mixture almost sticky in many ways, and then I use some sort of dry, crispy coating. For my Sweet Potato Burgers I use Panko breadcrumbs.

For these, I crushed tortilla chips! I used Beanfield's Nacho flavor for extra spiced-fiesta flavor!

...I had never done the chip coating before, but it actually worked really well.

Then with these types of burgers, I do a really quick pan-fry and bake for about fifteen minutes until warm and toasty but not dry.

I hate when veggie burgers are too dry or crumbly. I much prefer one that is on the softer side.

Firm Up Your Burger?

If you are not like me and don't want a burger that is on the soft side, you can easily adjust the filling a bit for a drier, more textured tone. Here are a few things that bind a burger a bit tighter - add:

• flour
• cooked rice or quinoa
• nutritional yeast
• more walnuts or chopping them to a finer texture - or even into a flour