Grilled Bean Burgers

By Sarah-Lyn

For a surefire meatless mainstay, Marguerite Shaeffer swears by these moist and delicious salsa-topped burgers. “I first sampled them at an ‘Eating Right‘ session at our local library,“ she writes from Sewell, New Jersey. “And they can hold their own against any veggie burger you‘d buy at the supermarket. They’re wonderful!" TASTY TIP Our recipes often give a range on certain herbs and spices to accommodate different tastes. If you like the heat of chili powder, use 2 teaspoons in your Grilled Bean Burgers; for a milder version, use 1 teaspoon.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Crisco® Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola Oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 8 tablespoons salsa

Preparation

Step 1

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute onion in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the carrot, chili powder and cumin; cook 2 minutes longer or until carrot is tender. Remove from the heat; set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans and black beans. Stir in oats. Add the mustard, soy sauce, ketchup, pepper and carrot mixture; mix well. Shape into eight 3-1/2-in. patties.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill patties, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve on buns with lettuce and salsa. Yield: 8 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 burger equals 307 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 723 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 12 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3-1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat.