White Bean Burgers

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: burgers

Course: Lunch-To-Go, Main Dish

Author: Heather Nicholds

These burgers are soft inside and crispy outside from a combination of couscous and white beans. The sun-dried tomatoes add a nice savory pop to the mix, or you can use olives if you prefer. These are really tasty topped with the tomato mixture from bruschetta for the last 5 minutes of baking. The cooked burgers freeze well and can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 cup boiling water
1 15oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, or olives
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or 1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

If baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine the couscous and boiling water. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes. Once the couscous is soft and the water is absorbed, fluff it with a fork. Add the beans and mash them to a chunky texture. Add the vinegar, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, and salt and stir until combined but still a bit chunky. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape each into a patty.
Put the patties on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly crispy on the edges. Alternatively, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the patties, making sure each has oil under it. Fry for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is browned. Flip, adding more oil, as needed, and fry for about 5 minutes more.
Serve the burgers on buns with your choice of toppings.

Notes

If you use dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in water for 5 minutes before you start. If you use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, pull out what you need or drain the extra oil and use it in place of the regular olive oil in the burger mixture.

Nutrition