Pinto Bean Beet Burgers

By Julia Howard, RHN, MPH

Pinto Bean Beet Burgers

The goal of many new vegans and plant-based eaters is to find and master the perfect bean burger. I had yet to achieve this goal, until recently.

When I saw that America’s Test Kitchen had published their amazing Vegan for Everybody cookbook, I knew they would have a no-fail bean burger in there. And, I was not disappointed! Neither were my friends who tested them…

Enter the Pinto Bean & Beet Burger!

Not only does this burger actually look like beef, it’s one of the most flavourful, perfectly textured bean burgers I’ve tried.

I adapted this burger recipe for gluten-sensitive folks by substituting gluten-free steel cut quick oats for bulgur wheat and gluten-free panko bread crumbs in for standard panko bread crumbs. Luckily, the result is just as tasty and firm. However, I strongly recommend using steel cut quick oats. Neither steel cut oats or quick oats will provide quite the same texture.

One slightly unusual ingredient in this recipe is a jar of carrot baby food! The pureed texture of the baby food helps the stickiness of the burger while the carrot flavour adds subtle sweetness. I used a sturdy collard green for a gluten-free bun alternative and an extra serving of veggies.

For some extra flavour, add a little pub sauce or a garlic aioli. I adapted the pub sauce recipe for this burger (see below) by substituting coconut aminos for soy sauce as a lower sodium, gluten-free alternative.

Wrap these burgers in parchment paper and they’ll store well in the fridge for a few days.

Pinto Bean & Bean Burger Ingredients (Serves 8)

  • 2/3 cup gluten-free steel cut quick oats (dry)
  • 1 can pinto beans (15.5 ounces)
  • 1 large beet, grated
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 1 small jar of carrot baby food (4 ounces)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1.5 cups of gluten-free panko bread crumbs
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • collard greens (or another sturdy green) for burger “buns”
  • Topping suggestions: pub sauce, a handful of microgreens, and some crunchy pickles

Pinto Bean & Bean Burger Directions

Boil 1.5 cups of water in a pot with 2/3 cup steel cut quick oats and a pinch of salt. Turn down the heat, stir the oats and then let the oats sit for 5 mins to allow them to soak up the water. Careful to avoid overcooking the oats as they will stick to the pot and become less workable. Spread cooked oats onto a pan and allow them to cool.

Peel and grate one large beet. Add grated beet to a food processor.

Add 3/4 cup of walnuts, 1/2 cup of fresh basil, and 2 garlic cloves, minced. Pulse in a food processor about 10-15 times.

Add 1 can of pinto beans (drained), 1 tbsp grainy mustard, 1 small jar of carrot baby food, 2 tbsp water, and 1 tsp salt. Pulse to mix.

Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Add 1.5 cups of gluten-free panko bread crumbs. Stir in cooked, cooled oats. 

Divide the mix into 8 sections with your finger or a spatula. Use hands to form patties of approx. 3.5 inches in diameter.

To cook the burgers, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat on a non-stick skillet. Fry up a few burgers at a time for about 4 mins on each side. Keep warm in a 200-degree F oven until the remaining burgers are cooked through.

Build your burger! Add a sauce (see below) and something crunchy, like some microgreens and pickles.

Pub Sauce Ingredients / Directions

  • 3/4 cup vegan mayo
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (for a truly vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute, try this)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp chives or green onions
  • Combine ingredients and then whisk to form sauce

If you’re looking for some additional guidance on how to incorporate more plants into your diet, contact me!

Thanks for reading,

~Julia 🥦

I’m 40 years old & started training at JKC in 2015. The gym I was working out at closed and my husband recommended JKC. JKC meets you where you are in your fitness journey and tailors the work to help achieve your goals. I’ve trained with Jon & Thomas pre pregnancy, while pregnant and now post baby and they have helped me enormously to stay fit through all life phases.

I joke with the guys often that I’ve seen no change in my fitness level since joining the gym, but the reality is I’m in far better shape at 40 than I ever was at 30 thanks to them.

I am the oldest client at JKC at 79 years, soon to be 80. I started training at JKC July 2021. I started at JKC because two of my three sons Justin and Michael and their partners Andrea and Keir and one of my doctors recommended JKC. They all train at JKC Now my wife Linda trains at JKC too. My third son Jonathan lives in Kingston. There is a congenial community atmosphere at JKC. People are introduced to each other. There is effective personal training at JKC.

I’ve always struggled with both my weight and anxiety throughout my life. As a writer you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle filled with both realistic and unrealistic deadlines, so I needed something to get me off my butt and to get me moving. JK has been a godsend during this past year and a half in particular. The pandemic has been tough, but workouts with both Thomas and Jon have really helped reduce the stress and strain of a global pandemic, and added an anchor of normalcy back into my life — which has been worth its weight in gold.

JKC has created an incredibly inclusive environment that’s filled with all kinds of supportive folks from all kinds of different backgrounds. For folks like myself, being surrounded by people with such athletic ability can be intimidating in most gyms. It can actually be a deterrent, and it sometimes has been for me. But, at JKC it’s far from that — it’s inspirational. Everyone supports one another. Which is something that’s not easily found in this day and age, inside of a gym or out. Not to sound like a total cheeseball here, but it really feels like a family.

I’m 35 and I started at JKC in November of 2019. I was coming off the win of the Royal St. John’s Regatta in 2019, and our crew was chomping at the bit to be stronger and faster for 2020. The reputation of JKC leached into our group and away we went! Unfortunately the regatta was cancelled due to COVID-19, but I just loved JKC so much I stuck around. JKC is different from other gyms because the level of experience the team has is unparalleled. Jon, Thomas and Craig all mesh well together and mentor me in a way that I know they love what they do and are genuinely excited to guide me towards my goals (and beyond). I really enjoy the atmosphere, the sense of community and all the positive vibes that I experience in every session. There’s never a time I don’t want to go because I’m motivated by the team’s coaching style and I get results.

I recently visited Newfoundland for one month, and was looking for a good place to train while I was there. Jon and the team at JK conditioning really took the time to assess what I already knew, and set achievable goals for the time that I had with them. The gym was such a great place to push yourself. It had everything you needed, but more importantly it had a well organized, very knowledgeable, and really motivating group of trainers to push you at each workout. Not to mention a really nice group of other members who also motivated me to go that little bit further. I would highly recommend the gym to anyone who has a goal and wants to find a place to help them achieve it.

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