Bulgur, Bean, and Walnut Burgers with Lime Mayonnaise

When I think of a traditional veggie burger, I think of those frozen patties of soy sold in the grocery store. Well, this bulgur burger is nothing like that. It's grainy, full of flavor, and quite satisfying.

The original recipe was found by my friend Ben, who decided to make these burgers about a year ago for a birthday party. A few weeks later, I followed suit, except they fell apart, so I quickly stuffed them into a pita bread and no one could tell the difference.

I made them again last night, but with a few minor changes to the recipe.
It is as follows:

1/2 cup bulgur wheat, cooked in 1/2 cup of water until soft
1/2 yellow onion, chopped and sauteed in oil and salt until translucent
3 cloves of garlic (raw), chopped
1/2 cup walnuts (the original recipe calls for 3/4 cup)
1 cup canned pinto beans, washed and drained
cilantro as you see fit
salt, cayenne pepper to taste
1 part mayonnaise
1 part lime juice (as well as some rind)

Cook the bulgur and onions while preparing the rest of the ingredients. You will need a food processer for this! Unfortunately, it's impossible to make the burgers without one.

When the bulgur is ready, make sure to remove any extra water (although there really shouldn't be any). Combine all of the ingredients, with the exception of mayonnaise and lime juice, and pulse in a food processer until it's the texture of ground meat. Luckily, this isn't meat, so you can taste the mixture before cooking it. Too bland? Add some salt and cayenne. Too spicy? Sorry! I'm sure you'll deal. ;)

You can either fry the burgers in a pan with a touch of hot olive oil, or you can grill them. However, it might be a good idea to add some not stick spray or oil, whichever method you decide to use.

When I pan-fry these babies, I like to fry them until they're dark brown on each side. The inside won't really cook through, but that's okay! Even preferable.

When you're done, combine mayonnaise and lime juice. If it's not sour enough for your taste, add more lime. I also like to add a dash of cayenne, some cilantro, and lime rinds.



A perfect summer treat! (Healthy too!)