Pink Bean Burgers!!!

I’m incredibly excited to share my process of making this pink bean burger! This is the first in a long series of my weekly plant-based burger inventions. It is a bit risky to invent a burger a week, because a lot of things have to go right. This time it did, and I am feeling great about the future of this project!

If you haven’t already, please visit my posts on how to cook pink beans and how to form the pink bean patties. If you wish, you can follow along and make the burger from scratch yourself!

This burger was truly inspired from my trip to Puerto Rico. I was able to visit a co-op in Manatí called Frutos del Guacabo, where I learned about low footprint farming in a unique microclimate. I left there with an avocado and a yam, and I was able to use these unique elements in my dish this week!

I was also blessed to try some green plantain from the co-op. The owner described the process of frying these to make a dish called tostones. I made it a few times in Puerto Rico, and brought this sweet, salty, crunchy element back to this burger.

A meal of coconut rice and pink beans I ate at los kioskos de Luqillo was the final inspiration for this dish. My first time trying pink beans was packed with flavor, and I wasn’t going to wait until I could make it back to the island to try these beans again!

Back home, I did some shopping at Urban Harvest Farmer’s Market, and I saw jalapeños at Farmer Ely’s tent for the first time this year. I had to buy them, and I later realized they would pair great with the avocado.

At the market, I always stop by the Verdegreens tent for crunchy salad lettuce and sprouts. I ended up with their supergreens sprout mix, and it looked delicious on this burger!

So, this sets the stage for the burger! Pink bean patty, tostones, fresh avocado crema, and supergreens. 🤤🤤

I used this recipe for my first try with vegan buns. I substituted the all-purpose flour (because it is refined) with white whole wheat flour (unrefined), and as expected, my buns didn’t rise as much as the picture. I think the bran results in a denser flour, so I’ll have to let these rise more next time. Also, I consulted with some bakers, and I probably over-kneaded my dough. So next time, these will definitely come out better!

At this point, I’ll let the video and recipe speak for themselves. Check them out, and let me know what you think in the comments below! What would you add to this burger in your own kitchen?