Gabriel's "Go Big Red" Bean Burger (Vegan, WFPB)

I was recently interviewed by the Hail Varsity magazine for their most recent food edition. As a former football player who used to love the standard American stadium foods, I decided to make a "Go Big Red" bean burger recipe. And I know from speaking with others who have transitioned to a plant based diet that burgers can be one of the hardest foods to find a great healthy version of. When I was back in Indiana helping my dad recover from an illness I began making bean burgers to help with his transition to a plant based diet. If you ask him know, he will tell you that bean burgers are the biggest reason that he was able to lose 100 pounds when he started eating plant based diet. I love making triple or quadruple batches of these and storing them in the freezer to grill out whenever we are hosting a dinner party or want a quick meal off the grill.

Here's what you will need!

• 2 cans of red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)

• 2 cans of black beans (drained & rinsed)

• 1 cup of cooked brown rice

• 1 cup of raw quick cooking oats

• 1/4th cup vital wheat gluten or oat flour (GF)

• 2 tbs soy sauce

• 2 tbs ketchup

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp liquid smoke

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• Stand mixer or large mixing bowl

Directions:

1. Add the beans to an electric stand mixer or into a large bowl

2. Mix by hand or with the stand mixer on low-medium speed using a scraper paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the beans and mix by hand or with the stand mixer on low-medium speed for 3-5 minutes

4. Form the mixture into patties

5. Freeze the patties on a baking sheet covered with wax or parchment paper for 8-12 hours

6. Transfer the patties to a freezer safe bag or container to store until you are ready to grill them up

7. Get your grill very hot (450 F+)

8. Grill on each side for 3-5 minutes (waiting to flip the first time until the burgers release easily from the grill)

Enjoy!

- Plant Based Gabriel