I was making roasted vegetable soup earlier today. It was delicious! I had seen someone recently making black bean burgers and adding in roasted peppers, so I held back some of the roasted bell pepper that I had to give it a go. However, when I went to my store cupboard I discovered I had no black beans! I did, however, have some kidney beans.
Like most legumes, Kidney beans contain healthy proteins, minerals, and vitamins. They are high in fibre and low in fat and sugar. They are also great for your gut biome, and for regulating blood glucose levels.
If using them from raw, you should always cook them thoroughly before eating as they contain a toxin which can make you ill. The easiest way to consume them is by purchasing canned beans, as these have already been cooked.
Canned beans also come with the "magic" ingredient of aquafaba - the bean water which contains some of the bean protein and starches and can behave quite like egg whites for binding and emulsifying.
Ingredients
75g organic rolled oats
1 shallot, finely diced
A few pieces of roasted bell pepper, skin removed (can use from a jar)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
(I am currently using some Espelette Pepper powder that we recently picked up in France)
Drain the bean water (aquafaba) from the can into a cup and put to the side. Rinse the beans in cold water.
Kidney beans tend to be quite soft out of a can, so I don't usually feel the need to use a food processor for this (though you can if you wish - just pulse carefully to retain some of the bean texture). I just use my potato masher or a fork!
I put the beans into a bowl and mash them roughly. Then add in all the other ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Now, this mix may be still quite dry. The ketchup will bring some moisture, but the majority will have been from the beans and the oats will absorb a lot of that. This is where we deploy the aquafaba. Drizzle in a little of the bean water at a time and mix everything well, until the mix flips from being a little too dry to being just moist.
This recipe will make two large patties, or four small ones. Shape them with damp hands (stops the mixture sticking), or use a patty shaping tool, then place on parchment paper. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This chilling is important as it really helps the patties stay together during cooking.
Fry at medium for 5ish minutes per side. These will work well in a bun, though on this occasion I served them with mash and broccoli, and covered in Basque Sauce (also picked up in France!).