Black bean burgers with chipotle ketchup

Dietitian's tip:

These black bean burgers may be prepared ahead of time and frozen.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
2. 3 cups water
3. 1 bay leaf
4. 2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced
5. 1 yellow onion, chopped
6. 4 cloves garlic, minced
7. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
8. 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
9. 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
10. 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
11. 1/2 teaspoon salt
12. 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
13. 1/2 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and chopped
14. 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
15. 1/4 cup chopped pecans
16. 1 green (spring) onion, thinly sliced
17. 1 egg, lightly beaten
18. 3/4 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs
19. 6 whole-grain hamburger buns
20. 6 slices tomato
21. 6 slices red onion
22. 3 bibb lettuce leaves, halved

Directions

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaf.

While the beans are cooking, make the chipotle ketchup. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the tomatoes, half the yellow onion, half the garlic, the tomato paste, vinegar, chipotle chili, 3/4 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Add the remaining yellow onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and the remaining garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Set the pan aside.

In a food processor, combine the drained beans, onion mixture, brown rice, pecans, green onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin. Pulse several times until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Fold in the beaten egg and bread crumbs. Form the mixture into 6 patties, each about 3/4-inch thick.

In the same pan used for the onion mixture, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides and heated through, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Serve each burger on a bun topped with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, 1/2 lettuce leaf and a dollop of the ketchup.

This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook," published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of a James Beard award.