These supremely satisfying Black Eyed Pea Burgers feature mushrooms, green peas, and the perfect blend of spices for a unique veggie burger that is a twist on the traditional!
I will confess that I am not the biggest fan of these ingredients on their own. Black eyed peas are a particular nemesis of mine. But something magical happens when they come together to form these vegetarian burger patties. They have just the right umami punch from the mushrooms, fish sauce and soy sauce and a killer texture that might even be better than my black bean patties (LINK)!
Speaking of those black bean burgers (LINK), that recipe was my first foray into vegetarian burger patties. Equipped with the knowledge I got from messing with the recipe for those, this recipe came together much more easily for me. However, I would like to revisit some of the tips and tricks I gathered while making that recipe, as they are just as relevant here.
- When you are squeezing the vegetables to get rid of water, really squeeze them. Like REALLY squeeze them. You want to get a measurable amount of water out of your vegetables. Moisture is the enemy of bean patties, and they will fall apart if you have too much.
- This recipe is wide open for substitutions! You can substitute the peas for any similarly-sized vegetable “chunk”: frozen carrots, corn or bell peppers would all work. Same goes even for the beans- they don’t have to be black eyed peas!
- Your finished product (before forming into patties) should be similar to ground beef. Add bread crumbs until you reach a consistency that is not too sticky and is easy to form. This will be entirely contingent on how much liquid you get out of the vegetables, but for me it’s almost always about a cup and a half.
There is one thing I would like to say specific to this unique veggie burger recipe as opposed to those black bean burgers. While these really shouldn’t fall apart if you follow my advice, I found that they are most likely to fall apart during the frying stage, and it was always in oil that wasn’t hot enough. Therefore, my advice would be to be sure that whatever cooking fat you choose to make these in is super hot. No being impatient and throwing it on the stove prematurely!
As written, this recipe is not vegan- but it can be. The three non-vegan ingredients I have included are butter, fish sauce, and egg. But these can be easily replaced with vegan friendly substitutes!
I love to cook onions and mushrooms in butter, which is why I have included it in the recipe. But there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t use another oil substitute of your choice. I have made these with both olive and canola oil and either one works just fine.
With regards to the fish sauce, I have not personally experimented with any vegan substitutes so I cannot make any personal recommendations. If you don’t have one you like, this ingredient can be omitted.
As for the egg, you do need some sort of binder in this black eyed pea burger. My favorite vegan substitute is the chia seed and water method: mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 20 minutes until it becomes a gel. That’s 1 egg!
Also, I have one last piece of oddly specific advice. But if I can save just one person from the totally unreasonable grocery store quest I went on, it’s worth the mention. Canned black eyed peas live with the canned vegetables- peas, corn, and so on- and not necessarily with the canned beans. I spent a few days baffled at my inability to find canned black eyed peas before I figured this out.
Looking for other great ways to sneak veggies into your life? Check out my Loaded Veggie Lasagna, (LINK) Mediterranean Tofu Scramble and Vegetable Sandwiches with Hatch Horsey Sauce (LINK) recipes!
Black Eyed Pea Veggie Burgers
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 shallot (about 1/4 cup after dicing)
- 1/4 white onion (about 1/3 cup after dicing)
- 1/4 lb white mushrooms (about 5 or 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp butter (or substitute oil of your choosing)
- 4 cloves minced garlic (about 1 packed tbsp)
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 15 oz can black eyed peas (about 1 1/4 cup)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- canola or other neutrally flavored frying oil
Instructions
Prep vegetables:
- Small dice the shallot, white onion and mushrooms.
- Melt butter in a medium pan over low heat. Add shallot, onion and mushrooms. Let cook, stirring often, until sweated - about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, fish sauce and soy sauce and cook for another 5 or so minutes, until the liquid is evaporated. Stir occasionally.
- Place the onion mixture in the food processor and blend until smooth.
Prep Black Eyed Pea Patties:
- Drain the can of black eyed peas and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- Add both black eyed peas and frozen peas to the food processor. Add onion powder, paprika, garlic powder and salt.
- Pulse until lightly chopped and combined, but not completely smooth- you want your peas to still maintain some of their structure! Pour mixture into a separate large bowl.
- Add egg and breadcrumbs and stir thoroughly to combine. You want the consistency of your mixture to resemble ground beef. Add more breadcrumbs if it is too wet.
- Form into 6-8 palm sized patties and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
If planning to freeze:
- After letting the patties rest in the refrigerator, place the baking sheet in the freezer, ensuring none of the patties are touching each other. Let freeze for 4-5 hours, or until solid, lifting from the paper occasionally to make sure they don't stick to it.
- Once completely frozen, store in a freezer-safe plastic bag for 5-6 months. They can be cooked directly from frozen!
If planning to cook:
- Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Be sure not to add your patties until the oil is truly hot, or else they will fall apart.
- Fry on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Serve on a bun with your favorite burger toppings!
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