Salsa Black Bean Burgers

The kitchen is in full summer mode. The oven at 375 (always 375), the crockpot on the counter, the pantry stocked with jars from last August's canning — the evidence of a woman who preserves summer against winter and loss against forgetting and food against everything.

Thursday was tater tot hotdish, because Thursday is always tater tot hotdish and the schedule doesn't change for anything — not pandemics, not loss, not the passage of years. The tater tots go in at 375 and come out golden and the family eats them and the eating is the Thursday and the Thursday is the structure and the structure holds. But I also made grilled bratwursts earlier this week, because the kitchen doesn't only look backward. The kitchen grows.

Canning approaches. August. The ritual that marks the turn from growing to preserving, from garden to pantry, from the sun to the jar. The pressure canner — Marlene's mother's, weight jiggly, gauge lying, handle replaced twice — waiting in the closet like a veteran reporting for duty. The heirloom equipment for the heirloom work.

The kitchen grows — I said it myself, and I meant it. The crockpot and the pressure canner and the tater tot hotdish on Thursdays are the spine of things, but a spine needs muscle around it. Somewhere in between the canning jars and the bratwursts I found myself reaching for black beans and the jar of salsa I’d put up last August, and these burgers came together the way good things do: quietly, without a fuss, tasting like summer that actually stayed.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chunky salsa, plus more for serving
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 burger buns, toasted
Optional toppings: sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, pepper jack cheese, sour cream

Instructions

Mash the beans. Place drained black beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving some texture. You want the mixture to hold together, not be a paste.
Mix the patty base. Add the salsa, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the mashed beans. Stir until fully combined. If the mixture feels too wet to shape, add an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
Form the patties. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each into a patty about 3/4 inch thick. Place them on a plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes to help them firm up.
Cook the patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 5–6 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until a firm crust forms on each side and the burgers are heated through. Do not crowd the pan.
Toast the buns. While patties cook, toast burger buns in a dry skillet or under the broiler until lightly golden.
Assemble and serve. Place each patty on a toasted bun and top with a spoonful of salsa, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, or any toppings you like. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Salsa Black Bean Burgers — Something New Growing in the Summer Kitchen