These vegetable patties are quick to make and delicious. They’re perfect when you’re looking for a lighter sandwich or salad topping.
The formula is simple:
Mechanic
A veg patty is a formula, not a fixed recipe: per can of beans, 1 cup cooked starch, 1 cup vegetables, ½ cup breadcrumbs, and 1 egg.
The beans are the body, the starch makes the mix tacky, and the binder holds it together in the pan. Swap freely within each slot and the ratio still holds.
- Beans: black, pinto, kidney, or chickpeas (~250 g drained, one 540 ml can)
- Starch: cooked rice, cold mashed potato, cooked quinoa, or cooked bulgur
- Vegetables: grated carrot, peas, corn, diced mushroom, or grated beet, sautéed until dry
- Binder: egg and breadcrumbs, or vital wheat gluten and oats for an egg-free, chewier patty (see Vegan burger)
- Seasoning: about 1 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tsp of dry spices per can of beans, plus salt (aiming for 1-1.5% by weight)
Bean and rice patties
- 1 can (540 ml / 19 oz) black, pinto, or kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and patted very dry (~250 g)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely grated (~60 g, ½ cup)
- 70 g (½ cup) frozen peas, thawed
- 160 g (1 cup) cooked rice, day-old is best
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 50 g (½ cup) dry breadcrumbs
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft and the pan looks dry, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Mash the beans in a large bowl, leaving about a quarter of them in rough pieces. Add the peas and press them with the masher until split. Stir in the rice, onion and carrot, soy sauce, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. The mix should hold its shape when squeezed and not feel sticky-wet; if it does, add breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time.
Divide into 6 portions of about 100 g. Shape into firm patties about 2 cm (¾ in) thick. Chill on a plate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium. Cook the patties until a dark, crisp crust forms, 4–5 minutes per side. Flip once, gently.
To serve
In toasted buns with burger sauce and pickles (toast the cut sides in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat until golden), or over rice with a fried egg.
Variations
Potato instead of rice. Use 1 cup cold mashed potato in place of the rice. Softer and creamier inside; dredge the patties in breadcrumbs before frying for a firmer crust.
Chewy and vegan. Vegan burger is a heavier take on this pattern: two kinds of beans, mushrooms and nuts as the vegetables, and vital wheat gluten and oats as the binder. Denser and meatier; it holds together without egg.
Notes
- Water is what breaks a veg patty, so dry or cook every wet ingredient first: pat the beans dry, sauté the vegetables, and smash anything round so it can’t roll loose.
- If the beans still feel wet after patting, spread them on a tray and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 15 minutes, until the skins split.
- Shaped patties freeze well between sheets of parchment. Cook from frozen over medium-low, about 7 minutes per side.