By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

In Boston, Marathon Monday brings students and area residents out of their homes and into the streets of Boston to cheer on the inspiring athletes running past. Many viewers spend the day outside equipped with coolers and portable grills. With BBQ and burgers on the brain, this week at Karen Jacobs’ Sargent Choice Test Kitchen we made the very popular SC’s Black Bean Burgers.

With the summer months approaching, put this recipe aside for your next barbecue. SC’s Black Bean burgers are perfect to make for your vegetarian friends but also delicious and satisfying enough to substitute for a standard meat patty. The onions, garlic and jalapenos add a punch of flavor and the black bean base will keep your stomach satisfied. To complete the delicious patty, we whipped up SC’s guacamole for a smooth fresh summer flavor.

Black Bean Burgers

The black bean burgers only took us about 30 minutes to make, which is perfect if you have other side dishes to prepare for your barbecue. First, we rinsed the black beans in cold water and transferred them to a bowl to be mashed. We smashed them until no whole beans were left and then added the egg, whole-wheat breadcrumbs, garlic, onion and salt to bind the beans. The jalapenos and red pepper were omitted due to an allergy but feel free to add as much as your taste buds can handle.

To make the mixture uniform and enhance the flavor of the burger, we ground the onions in a food processor to release their flavorful juices and minced the garlic. We stirred the black bean mixture, altering with a spoon and our hands until all the ingredients were evenly incorporated.

Next, we rolled the black bean mixture into balls and flatten them into patties. Finally, we added a little olive oil to a hot pan and cooked them to perfection.

Simple Guacamole

We hollowed out the avocados and added lime juice, garlic powdered, salt and pepper to taste. Then we creamed the ingredients together until smooth. Voila, SC Guacamole!

Finally, we mounted the black bean burgers onto whole-wheat buns, spread some guacamole on top and added jalapeno peppers on top to taste!

Please join us Monday 4/23 for the last KJ SC Test Kitchen of the semester. We’ll be making Crispy Peanut Butter Flax Seed bars.

I’d like to thank Karen Jacobs for opening her doors for the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen each week to share her kitchen, listen to our crazy stories and give us wonderful advice. I’d also like to thank all of the test kitchen regulars who clear their schedules every Wednesday night despite their heavy course load. Thank you everyone and I can’t wait until next semester!

Sargent Choice Black Bean Burgers

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Black Bean Burger:
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1-cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced or ½ tsp garlic powder
½ jalapeno, de-seeded and minced or hot sauce to taste
½ red pepper, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns

Simple Guacamole:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and mashed
1-2tsp-lime juice
¼ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Black Bean Burger:

1. Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.
2. Add egg, yellow onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, jalapeno, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix well to combine then shape into 6 patties.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange patties in a single layer (working in batches, if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total.
5. Transfer to whole-wheat bun or tortilla.

Simple Guacamole:

1. Peel and mash the avocado in a small bowl.
2. Add the limejuice and garlic powder.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.