By Libbie Summers
Assisted by David Dempsey

I am a carnivore. You don’t come from a hog farming family and not like a piece of bacon. But, when it comes to a burger…make mine vegetarian. I’ll order a vegetarian burger from any restaurant menu I see.

I love this recipe for it’s simplicity and uniqueness. Load it with everything and anything you love and you have yourself one of the best vegetarian burgers…ever!

Loaded Red Bean Burgers
(makes 6-8)

What you need: 
2 cups dry red kidney beans (can substitute 1 can of rinsed and drained kidney beans)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup prepared HOT salsa
1 cup corn muffin mix
olive oil
8 hamburger buns, toasted (optional)
Toppings: Vegan Mayonnaise, Sliced Avocado, Salsa, Lettuce, Red Onion

What to do: 
Cook beans: In a medium sauce pan, add beans and salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until beans are tender (about 60 minutes). Drain and set aside to cool. When cool, smash with a fork.
Make burger mixture: In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together the smashed beans, salsa and muffin mix. Form into 6-8 patties.
Cook Burgers: Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Working in batches as not to overcrowd the pan, cook the burgers until golden browned.
To Serve: Slather buns with mayonnaise and top with burger and your favorite toppings.