Hazelnut and Bean Burgers

The vegetarian answer to the Big Mac?

Vegan. Hands-on time: 5 mins. Total time: 35 mins.

Contributed by Mike Lewis (March 2003).

This is a particularly tasty and nutritious vegetarian burger, with a fraction of the fat content of the meat-eater's equivalent. You can serve it in traditional burger buns, or with a light tomato or mushroom sauce as a main course. These quantities make six to eight burgers.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (3.5 oz, 100 g) ground hazelnuts (you can also use ground almonds)
• One 7-oz (200 g) can tomatoes
• One 14-oz (400 g) can beans (I like black-eye beans in this recipe, but kidney or pinto beans also work well)
• 1 cup (3.5 oz, 100 g) breadcrumbs
• 1 tblsp. tahini
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 375F (190C)

Mix all the ingredients together. Using a food processor or blender, make into a smooth purée. Form into burger shapes (if the mixture is not stiff enough, add more breadcrumbs or a little flour).

Transfer the burgers to a baking tray and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.