Making healthy burgers

Making healthy burgers

While for a meat-eater a juicy burger can be one of life’s pleasures, most food such as this can bring on chronic disease.

Sue RaddMar 20, 2023, 12:45 AM

The good news is that there’s a tasty, whole-food burger you can easily make at home that is good for your health.

Where your health is concerned, the best burgers are made from beans, not beef—and they can taste great!

Start with a cooked or canned bean or lentil of your choice (leftover dhal or thick bean soup or stew also work) and mash coarsely. Add to this any ingredients of your choice, like sautéed onion, garlic or finely sliced spring onion; coarsely chopped nuts or seeds, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; dried or fresh herbs and spices such as fresh parsley, dried oregano, ground cumin or chipotle; and a nutritious flour or leftover cooked grains to bind (for example, lupin or besan (chickpea) flour, rolled oats, cooked millet or quinoa). 

Not all burgers need egg. If your mixture doesn’t look firm enough, as a vegan alternative, you can also use “chia egg.” Simply stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with a small amount of water until a gel is formed, then fold in. 

There are hundreds of variations on this theme, so be creative. Use a ½- or 1⁄3-cup measure to create evenly sized patties. You can oven bake (flip half-way through to brown both sides) or fry in extra virgin olive oil.

Assembly
Time-saving tips

Make patties ahead in bulk and freeze for a quick meal. For an emergency, you can buy chilled or frozen patties, like lentil burgers and soy schnitzels, but beware of their sodium content. 

The printed version of this recipe contained a mistake in the ingredients list. Please find the amended version below. The Signs of the Times team would like to apologise for the oversight. Happy cooking!

Black bean burgers

Black beans and rice are a classic Mexican combo and these gluten-free burgers bring the traditional flavours together. Serve on toasted buns topped with the spiced salsa. You can also add more fresh salad ingredients or onion jam.

Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes | Serves: 8  

Method

Tip: Use leftover rice or beans from your fridge. Canned black beans also work, but a 400 g can provides 240 g drained beans, so use two! Home-cooked beans are usually softer and taste better!

PER BURGER: 1170 kJ (279 cal). Protein 7 g. Fat 17 g. Saturated fat 3 g. Cholesterol 0 mg. Carbohydrate 21 g. Fibre 7 g. Calcium 41 mg. Iron 2 mg. Sodium 297 mg.  

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