Black Bean Veggie Burgers with Corn Salsa | Food

Looking for a healthier burger? Something fun for a Super Bowl party? Something for a meatless meal? Look no further! Filled with colorful veggies and black beans, you'll definitely get your fill of fiber, nutrients, crunch and flavor with these burgers. They're baked (but not dry!) to eliminate excess oil.

Prepping this meatless burger -- with all its veggies -- will have your workspace looking and smelling like springtime! The nice thing about this recipe is that you can substitute your favorite vegetables, beans and even spices, which I did.

I made Corn Salsa as a topping for the burgers (goes great with chips, too!), but top them with whatever is your favorite — cheese, avocado, lettuce, mustard… again, that’s the beauty of these burgers!

These burgers can be frozen (once cooled) for the week ahead or serve them up right away! I recommend making the Corn Salsa first, and refrigerating it for about an hour to let the flavors mix together before serving it.

For the Burgers:

• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup oatmeal (I used a bit more)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• Nonstick cooking spray

For the Corn Salsa:

• 2 cups canned corn kernels
• 1/2-1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (more or less to taste)

1. Mix all the salsa ingredients together and chill for about an hour before serving.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spray two baking sheets lightly with the nonstick spray and set aside.

3. Add the carrot to a bowl with a little water, cover it and microwave for about two minutes. Once cooled, mash them and add them to the mashed black beans. Mix together then add the remaining vegetables and mix well.

4. Add the oatmeal, breadcrumbs, seasoning and salsa. Mix together until combined. Add the flour and mix well. If the mixture is too moist, add more flour and adjust the seasoning, as needed.

5. Form the mixture into patties and place them on the baking sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. When the burgers are finished, serve with the Corn Salsa or your favorite topping.