Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Makes 5 large patties

• 1 + 1/2 cups cooked and drained lentils
• 1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/5 cup "ground beef" style vegan soy or veggie crumbles (I used Trader Joe's Beefless ground beef, but I hear Morningstar is also good)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 5 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 large slice of white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
• 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and ground cumin
• salt and pepper

Place all ingredients except flour in a food processor and blend until fully combined. It may take a few rounds of processing to get it really smooth, but a smoother texture is worth the noisiness! Taste test the mixture and add salt and pepper as desired, processing in between additions. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and add flour, mixing with hands or a spoon until the flour is fully incorporated. Roll a large handful of the mixture into a ball and flatten into a burger; you can either make 5 large patties like I did, or there's probably enough for 4 smaller patties. The mixture will stick to your hands a little but you should be able to form the burgers easily. If not, add flour in increments until you can form them successfully. If you don't want to cook the burgers all right away, store the rest in a plastic container with parchment paper between them so that they don't stick together. To cook the burger, grease a frying pan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Place the burger in the pan and cook on each side for about five minutes, or until both sides are well browned and firm but not burnt.

Magical!