Vegan/Vegetarian Bean Burgers

I searched high and low for years to find a Vegan, or vegetarian - since I do eat dairy and eggs, bean burger recipe. I found LOTS that I did not like, at all, and I found a few that I liked well enough. The problem was that I never found one that I LOVED, and I never found one that the hubby liked well enough to eat without complaint, or actually ASK FOR come dinnertime. So, I took the few that I liked and mushed them together, made some changes here and there, tweaked a few things and came up with this recipe. The coloring is great, it's not some weird fluorescent yellowish green with specks of bright red and whole peas in it. (My family would NEVER eat something that looked so... Vegan.) It doesn't have any obscure ingredients that cost and arm and a leg and that you have to go to a specialty store for. The recipe is cheap and makes approx 18-22 patties, and they freeze really really well. My family loves them, and my omnivore friends admit that they taste pretty dang good. Are they greasy, fatty Angus beef burgers? Well, no. But if you want your BBQ burger to be animal free, look no further!

Ingredients

1 can Black Beans (15 oz. can), drained and rinsed

1 can Kidney Beans (15 oz. can), drained and rinsed

2-1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I do half breadcrumbs and half crushed Goldfish crackers)

1 cup finely chopped red onion

1-1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds, chopped (I like to add nuts as well; any combination of walnuts, almonds, pecans, pepitas, etc. All of the chopped nuts/seeds needs to equal approx 1.5 cups)

1/2 cup finely pulsed carrot 

1-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Egg Replacer (follow directions for your product), or real eggs if you're not Vegan

2 cups Flour (I prefer almond, but any will do.) 

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

oil for frying burger patties, or for wiping on BBQ grill to prevent sticking.

Directions

Process the beans quickly (pulse) in a food processor so that they become a thick lumpy paste.

Process your bread/crackers for the breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Mix the egg replacer and water. Set aside.

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl.

Mix well. 

Add water as needed. Depending on your geographic location you'll need more or less. I use almost a whole cup. Add water, mix. Add water, mix. Little by little until you've got the consistency of kneaded ground beef.

Form into baseball sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. 

Put 6 on each cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand, or the bottom of a plate, to make a patty.

Freeze at this point or fry/grill the amount of patties that you want. Cook for 5-10 minutes per side until browned to your liking and warm throughout.

To Freeze

Slide the cookie sheets into the freezer for about 15-30 minutes or until they are no longer sticky to the touch.

Transfer patties from the cookie sheet into a Tupperware type container, or a freezer bag, separating each patty with a piece of wax paper for easy removal when the time comes to cook.
You can fit 8-12 patties per gallon sized freezer bag depending on how big each patty is.