mushroom black bean burgers

I found this recipe in Wegman's magazine thingy. I think they are absolutely amazing -- and I'm pretty hard to please with veggie burgers.

When I make them, I skip the cheese and I only puree about half of the mixture so that it is still a little chunky and not too baby food-like. I also use 1 cup panko bread crumbs in lieu of the the homemade breadcrumbs. I also pan-fry them in a bit of olive oil instead of grilling them (I think they might stick to a grill too much).

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ cups cooked black beans (or 1 15-ounce can, drained)
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
4 slices stale or toasted sandwich bread, processed to make bread crumbs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 hamburger buns or hard rolls
Salsa

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill with a lightly-oiled vegetable grill rack in place.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes.

3. Spoon the mixture into the food processor. Add the beans and cilantro and process briefly until well combined but still chunky. Spoon into a bowl, stir in the goat cheese, if using, and bread crumbs. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. With wet hands, form the mixture into 6 burgers. Mist both sides with nonstick spray.

5. Grill the burgers until crisp and heated through, about 5 minutes per side.

6. Serve the burgers on the buns, passing salsa at the table.

Serves 6.