Ingredients
- For Burgers:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 medium ear corn, shucked
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- Whipped Feta
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- Optional Toppings
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Sliced Tomato
- Red Onion
- Sliced Avocado
Preparation
Step 1
For the Burgers
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, sweat until fragrant and soft, without obtaining any color, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in pepper, corn and carrot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the black beans. Add the remaining black beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add the sauteed vegetables, quinoa, reserved black beans and cilantro. Mix to fully combine. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, as necessary.
Stir in the eggs and cornmeal.
Form the mixture into patties. Place on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate for t least 30 minutes (this helps the patties stay together during cooking).
Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to the pan, without crowding & working in batches if necessary, and cook 7-10 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook another 7-10 minutes on the other side.
For the Whipped Feta
Add crumbled feta to a food processor and pulse until small crumbs remain. Add in cream cheese and puree for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides when necessary, until feta is super creamy.
To Assemble
Place burgers on your favorite buns. Spread a healthy portion of whipped feta on top of the burger and add your favorite toppings!