Beetroot & Black Bean Burger — Casa Adora

The black beans arrived yesterday morning, and this beetroot burger recipe is what happened next. By evening they were under a piece of Icelandic cod, poached in Montetucci olive oil with confit garlic and lemon peel. Elegant, considered, the kind of thing you eat slowly in the shade.

This is the other end of the spectrum.

The same beans, twenty-four hours later, in a burger. Wholemeal bun, Nearly K-Salat remoulade on the bottom, Tropical Sunset fermented habanero hot sauce on the top, eaten at the ornate cast iron table on the Casa Adora patio in 41°C September heat. The cod was a restaurant dish. This is Saturday evening.

The black bean story at Casa Adora starts not here but in Manchester — at Pearl City in Chinatown, where Chicken & Black Beans was the dish that made me understand what a black bean could do. Back in Cumbria before 2012, I used to buy black bean sauce jars, rinse them thoroughly to strip out the preservatives, and use the beans to recreate it at home. Then the move to Andalucía, and black beans quietly dropped out of the rotation for over a decade.

A case of twelve Eat Wholesome Organic arrived on 3rd September. This is the second recipe. The cod was first. Ten tins to go.

Beetroot Burger Recipe — What Makes It Work

The beetroot does three things: earthiness, colour — deep purple-red that holds through the bake — and moisture, which is why the mushrooms matter. Cook the onion and mushrooms first, drive off the liquid, cool them completely before they go in. That's what gives the patty structure rather than a wet, collapsing mess.

The walnuts add texture and a faint bitterness that sits well against the sweet beetroot. The cumin and smoked paprika are the spice backbone — warm, not hot.

The egg binds it. Refrigerate the shaped patties for 15–20 minutes if the mixture feels soft — it firms up considerably and holds its shape in the pan.

Two tonight, two in the freezer. A beetroot burger recipe that earns its place in the weekly rotation.

Beetroot & Black Bean Burger

Makes 4 — 2 to eat, 2 to freeze

Ingredients

• 1 tin Eat Wholesome Organic black beans, drained and rinsed (~240g)
• 150g cooked beetroot (vacuum packed), grated and squeezed of excess liquid
• 150g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1½ tsp cumin
• 1½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and black pepper
• Oil for frying

To serve:

• Wholemeal burger buns
• Nearly K-Salat Danish Remoulade
• Tropical Sunset Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce
• Cornichons
• Cherry tomatoes

Method

Cook the base. Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Soften the onion and mushrooms together for 5–6 minutes until the moisture has cooked off completely. Set aside to cool.

Mix. In a large bowl, roughly mash the black beans — leave plenty of texture, don't purée. Add the beetroot, cooled onion and mushroom mixture, walnuts, cumin, smoked paprika and beaten egg. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Mix until combined.

Shape and rest. Shape into four patties. If the mixture feels soft, refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to firm up before baking.

Fry. Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the patties for 5–6 minutes each side until firm and nicely crusted. Don't move them around — let them build a crust before turning.

Serve. In wholemeal buns with Nearly K-Salat remoulade on the bottom, Tropical Sunset on the top, cornichons and cherry tomatoes alongside.

To freeze:
Place uncooked patties on a lined tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook from frozen — defrost overnight in the fridge and fry as above, or add a couple of extra minutes per side from fridge-cold.

Chef's Notes

The mushrooms are doing two jobs — umami depth and moisture absorption. Cook them properly first; don't rush it and don't skip it.

The beetroot is vacuum-packed cooked beetroot, not raw. Raw beetroot would need longer cooking or grating and would release more liquid into the mix.

To make this vegan: replace the egg with a flax egg — 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, left for 5 minutes until gel-like. It binds well and you won't notice the difference in the finished burger.

If you prefer a lentil base, my Red Lentil & White Bean Burger works on the same principle — different legume, same honest approach.

The Nearly K-Salat remoulade was made the evening before alongside the Cod Loin Poached in Early-Harvest Olive Oil on Black Beans. One batch, two meals. That's what a good condiment does.

This beetroot burger recipe is featured in my Gut Health Recipes hub — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.
It also features in my Veg, Fruit & Pulses, Black Bean Recipes, and Veggie & Vegan collections.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef