Asian Adzuki Bean Burgers

The grey Rochester weather has me craving the bright, vibrant greens of spring. I can taste the first few stalks of asparagus and baby greens tossed in fresh herbs and olive oil. But we have a few months left before the first buds of Spring arrive and I am not known for my patience when it comes to food.

So before those tender greens pop up at my local farmers market I decided to create an adzuki bean burger. Topped with a non-dairy yogurt herbaceous spread to tide me over. These bean burgers are Asian inspired, a little sweet, a little spicy, savory and earthy. Served with a lettuce wrap and pickled daikon, this burger is perfect for your winter blues.

The spread is studded with Thai basil, cilantro, and spring onion. Perfect on top of the adzuki bean burgers or delicious on lentils or a salad.

If you have a blender or food processor these burgers come together in a matter of minutes. They are also freezer friendly for up to one month. But if you don't have a food processor or blender you can still enjoy these burgers for a quick weeknight dinner once the beans are cooked. And if you can't find adzuki beans, feel free to substitute with either pinto or kidney beans. I like Adzuki beans because of their unique earthy flavor. You can usually find them in the bulk bin at a health food store, or in an Asian market.

Asian Adzuki Bean Burgers with Yogurt Spread

Ali Lawrence | 2/6/20

• prep time: 20 minutes
• cook time: 25 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6 burgers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups adzuki beans, cookied
• 1/2 cup brown rice cooked (use panko breadcrumbs or quick oats if making by hand)
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 3/4 cup oyster mushrooms or mushrooms of choice
• 2 scallions
• 3 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp chopped ginger
• 2 Tbsp plant based hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp gojuchang or 1/2 fresno chili, minced
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt to taste (optional)

For the Yogurt Spread

• 1 cup non-dairy yogurt of choice
• 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped(substitute parsley)
• 1/4 cup thai basil finey chopped (substitute mint)
• 1/4 cup spring onions thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice from 1/2 a lime

Instructions:

For the Burgers

1. Heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tsp oil and saute the carrots and mushrooms for around 2 minutes until they cook down and get slightly golden.
2. Add all of your ingredients to a food processor with the carrots and the mushrooms and blend until paste begins to form with some chunks of rice and bean still left for texture.
3. Alternatively, in a large bowl, mash the adzuki beans with a fork until they are mostly broken down with a few pieces remaining. Make sure all of the ingredients are chopped if you are mixing by hand. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until it begins to come together to form a sticky dough.
4. Shape the bean mix into patties by measuring out 1/3 cup of the mixture and shaping them with your hands.You can freeze these now if you like by putting them on a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and leaving them in the freezer until solid and placing in a freezer safe container or bag.
5. To cook: heat a saucepan over medium heat and add about 1 tsp of oil. Cook the burger until brown on both sides and heated trhough. Alternatively, heat an oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment or foil. Place your burgers on the cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, flipping half way until both sides are brown and the burger is heated through.
6. For the yogurt spread, mix everything until combined.

To Serve: Serve the burger on a lettuce leaf (I used green leaf lettuce) and a bit of the yogurt spread. Add pickled vegetables if desired. Enjoy.