It’s backyard grilling season and while Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods do a great job at replicating the taste, texture and look of beef burgers, we wanted to equip you with a recipe for a whole-food, plant-based bean burger that has minimally processed ingredients and tons of nutrients.

We didn't stop at healthifying just the burger – instead of vegan cheese slices, which are delicious but still processed, we're using a homemade cashew cheese sauce. If you don’t have a high-speed blender to make this sauce, soaking your cashews in hot water for 30-minutes ahead of time will help you get that smooth, creamy texture we’re aiming for. Also, depending on the size you make your patties this recipe can yield 3 thick patties or 5-6 thinner sized patties. If you want to make more than 3 thick patties, go ahead and double up on the recipe! Finish these burgers with your favorite toppings like pickles, onions and tomatoes and dig in!

JD Raymundo

Vegan Black Bean Cheeseburger

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min
Passive Time: 30 Min
Overall Time: 55 Min

Makes two patties

Ingredients

Black Bean Patties

1 Red Onion, diced
1 Cup Mushrooms, diced
14 oz Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp Tamari, or Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
½ Tsp Onion Powder
½ Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Dried Cilantro
¼ Tsp Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Salt

Vegan Cheese Sauce

1 ½ Cup Raw Cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 min
1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk, unsweetened
¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
½ Tsp Onion Powder
¼ Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Mustard

Instructions

In a large pan, heat up some oil over medium heat. Cook your onions and mushrooms for 3-5 minutes or until your red onions become translucent. Set aside to slightly cool.
In a food processor, add the rest of your black bean patty ingredients including the onion and mushroom mixture. Pulse your food processor until mixed and combined. Scrape the sides down as needed and be sure not to over blend, you don’t want to create a paste. It’s okay if there are still small chunks of black beans in your mixture.
Form your black bean mixture into patties, either 3 thick patties or 6 thinner patties. Transfer your patties on a baking tray with parchment paper and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. While it’s in the fridge, make your cheese sauce.
To make the cheese sauce, drain your soaked cashews and add it to a blender with the rest of your cheese sauce ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. If you want your sauce to be a little bit thinner, blend in a splash of non-dairy milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Set aside.
Remove patties from the fridge and heat up some oil in a pan over low-medium heat. Cook your patties for 3-5 minutes on each side or until it’s nicely browned. Depending on the size of your patties and pan, you may need to cook your patties in batches.
Assemble your burger by toasting your buns, and using whatever toppings you’d like. I like to use vegan mayo, avocados, arugula, tomatoes, mustard, and of course the black bean patty and vegan cheese sauce! Enjoy!

Nutrition Notes:

Calories 447, Total Fat 4 g, Sat. Fat 0.7 g, Total Carbs 84.2 g, Fiber 14.2 g, Sugar 9.4 g, Protein 21.3 g