Preheat oven to 325° F. Rinse, and drain black beans. Blot the beans dry on paper towels. Spread beans out onto parchment paper-lined large baking sheet. Bake the beans for 15 minutes, to slightly dry them out. Don't skip this step! Once done, remove beans from oven, and set aside. NOTE: If you will be baking the burger patties, turn oven up to 375° once you remove the beans from oven.
While beans bake, place olive oil, chopped bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic in a skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until veggies have softened. Once cooked, pat the veggies gently with a paper towel, to absorb a bit of their moisture.
Place cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except for the black beans. Stir to combine. Add the black beans. Use a potato masher or fork to "mash" this together, making sure to leave some black beans intact. NOTE: This step can also be done in a food processor. PULSE the ingredients, but do not fully blend.
For each patty, use 1/3 cup of bean mixture. Scoop out 1/3 cup, then transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet. After placing 6 scoopfuls on the paper, flatten them down and round out into thick patties, using your hands.
There are TWO ways to cook these burgers. 1) Bake at 375° F., and cook for 10 minutes on each side, OR 2) Place the patties onto aluminum foil (on your BBQ grill), and grill each side for 8 minutes. After the black bean burgers have baked for 10 minutes on each side (or grilled for 8 on each side), they are done! Prepare burgers with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
NOTE: The caloric calculation is for one black bean burger patty only. Any additions (bun, condiments, etc.) will need to be calculated separately, as they will differ for each person.
Black Bean Burgers https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/black-bean-burgers/