This recipe is a lighter version of the classic burger and is a great way to add more vegetables without compromising on taste. You could leave out the meat altogether if you would like a vegetarian version. This recipe shows that you can take what would be considered a junk/comfort food and alter it a bit to make it into a healthy, well rounded dish.  A watermelon salad goes perfectly with the dish but you can also go old school and put these burgers on top of a buttered and toasted brioche bun. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 can of Chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 can of black beans
• 250g 100% minced beef
• Optional: 1 egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

Mise en place*

1. Drain and rinse the two cans of beans
2. Mix in the beef and optionally and egg for some binding. You can test whether or not you burger will fall apart by frying a little piece and seeing whether it stays whole. This is also the perfect opportunity to taste the seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Where the magic happens

1. Put into bowl and season generously
2. Mash the bean using a potato masher. I like to keep some structure in the beans which gives a nice bite to the burgers
3. Mix in the beef and optionally and egg for some binding. You can test whether or not you burger will fall apart by frying a little piece and seeing whether it stays whole. This is also the perfect opportunity to taste the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
4. Put a pan on a medium high heat and oil
5. Form patties from the mixture and cook the patties until golden crispy outside
6. Enjoy!

*Mise en place is a term used in cooking which when translated means “putting in place.” These are all the preparations that are done before cooking can take place. I put this in a different section because not only will it save you time and stress, but it helps in decreasing mistakes during cooking