Joanne Lee Molinaro’s Korean BBQ Black Bean Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

FOR THE SIMPLE RED CABBAGE SLAW
1 cup julienned red cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
¼ cup julienned red onion
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground

FOR THE BURGERS
1 (15- ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons Omma’s Korean BBQ Sauce (recipe here)
½ cup day- old cooked rice
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup potato starch
½ cup panko bread

FOR SERVING
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices vegan cheese
4 hamburger buns
4 tablespoons Omma’s Korean BBQ Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Make the simple red cabbage slaw: In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage, carrot, onion, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Set the slaw in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your burgers.
3. Make the burgers: Reserving ¼ cup of the liquid, drain the beans and spread them onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place them in the oven and roast until the beans are dried out and cracked, 11 to 13 minutes.
4. 4.Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium- high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent and charred around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce. Reduce the heat and allow the onions to cook down and caramelize for about 10 minutes.
5. Once the black beans are cool, transfer them to a food processor and pulse until they reach a pebble- like consistency. Dump the beans into a large bowl, along with the rice.
6. Add the walnuts to the food processor, along with half the caramelized onions and the remaining 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Pulse until the nuts reach a small pebble- like consistency.
7. Add the mixture to the bowl with the beans and rice and mix, packing firmly together, until a “dough” forms. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Shape each into a patty about the circumference of your burger buns and about ½ inch thick— the thinner they are, the less mushy they will be.
8. Coat each of the patties with a little potato starch (do not overcoat, as this will dry them out). Spoon a little bit of the reserved black bean liquid over both sides of the patties to make them sticky. Coat the patties with an even layer of panko.
9. In a large skillet (or on a griddle), heat the vegetable oil over medium- high heat. Add the burgers and cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add a slice of vegan cheese to the top of each burger and cover the pan. Continue to cook the patties until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute.
10. Assemble the burgers on the buns. Top with the remaining caramelized onions and slaw. Add more barbecue sauce for extra sauciness.