Vegan Zesty Greek Black Bean Burger
These burgers bring serious Mediterranean personality to your weeknight dinner lineup, with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a hit of smoked paprika packed right into the patty. The black beans get thoroughly dried and mashed before mixing, which is the key move that keeps everything from turning mushy — you get a genuinely satisfying, hearty bite with a deep brown crust from the skillet. Rolled oats hold the whole thing together without any eggs or binders you'd have to swap out, so the plant-based structure is built right into the recipe from the start. A creamy tahini sauce made with lemon juice and garlic drapes over each patty, and a bright cucumber-tomato relish adds crunch and freshness that cuts right through the richness. Everything on the plate — from the patties to the sauce to the relish — is completely free of animal products, so there's no need to audit labels or make substitutions. The recipe makes four generous servings, which means it's just as good for a casual dinner party as it is for meal-prepping lunches through the week. Bold, zesty, and deeply satisfying, this is the kind of burger that makes you forget you were ever skeptical about plant-based cooking.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the patties
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), finely chopped
- 3 tbsp pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
For the tahini sauce
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2–3 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the relish
- ½ english cucumber, finely diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
For serving
- 4 vegan burger buns
- 1 cup baby arugula or shredded romaine (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the tahini sauce: whisk together the tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and 2–3 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth and pourable, adding water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle. Set aside.
- 2
Make the relish: combine the diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, toss to combine, and set aside.
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