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Black bean burgers with fresh salsa

Serves: 8
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 28 mins

    Black beans and rice are a classic Mexican combination and these gluten-free burgers bring these traditional flavours together for the whole family to enjoy! Diets with black beans improve biomarkers of colonic health and reduce inflammation during colitis. Legumes, in general, are crucially important to help prevent inflammatory bowel disease. Serve burgers on lightly toasted buns topped with the fresh salsa, or form into falafel-sized balls for wraps. 

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    Ingredients

    • 2 tbs chia seeds
    • 5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 1 clove garlic, crushed
    • 400g soft cooked black beans
    • 1½ cups cooked medium-grain brown rice
    • ⅓ cup brown rice flour
    • 1½ teaspoons cumin
    • 3 tbs fresh coriander (cilantro)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • pepper to taste

    Salsa

    • 1 large, firm tomato, finely diced
    • ½ medium lebanese cucumber, peeled and finely diced
    • ¼ red spanish onion, peeled and finely diced
    • ½ medium avocado, peeled and finely diced
    • 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
    • ½ small red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
    • 2 tbs lemon juice
    • 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil 

    Method

    1. Place chia seeds in a small bowl and stir in 6 tbs of water to make “chia egg”. Allow to swell and thicken for 15–30 mins, stirring frequently to prevent clumps.
    2. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large frypan. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir for another 30 secs. Set aside.
    3. Meanwhile, prepare salsa by combining all ingredients. Set aside. Makes approx 2 cups.
    4. Mash beans coarsely in a medium bowl with a fork. Add rice, rice flour, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, “chia egg” and onion mixture. Stir until well combined, then divide mixture into 8. Using moistened hands, form 8 round balls, then flatten into burgers.
    5. Heat remaining oil in the frypan and cook burgers in 2 batches on medium-high for approx 3 mins on each side, or until golden. Serve immediately with burger buns of your choice or freeze burgers for up to 3 months and reheat in oven.

    Tips

    • Use leftover rice and/or beans in this recipe or canned black beans.
    • Home-cooked beans are usually softer and taste better!
    • Timings to cook dry black beans using a pressure cooker: 5 minutes if pre-soaked or 20 minutes if unsoaked, allowing for natural pressure release.
    • Variation: Swap brown rice flour with lupin flour or besan (chickpea) flour.

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