Burgers are something I like to enjoy all through the year. But they have a special meaning when it’s summer. Walk on any street in any small town in America around 4-5 in the afternoon, you will see people tending to their outdoor grills. The smell of barbecue and burgers on the grill fills the air, and literally has you salivating. And my Kidney bean burger recipe is in response to that feeling.

Veggie bean burgers have seemed more appetizing to me even when I was a carnivore. It seems there is so much more you can do with them, so many things you can add to get a different taste. With a meat burger, no matter how many aromatics you add, the meat kind of overpowers everything. Well, at least that is my opinion.

I am a total klutz when it comes to photographing burgers. So even though there are some really tasty burgers here like the Soya Vegetable Burger, Tofu Mushroom burger or Lentil Burger, they don’t really look attractive because of the bad photos. Well, I hope I have crested the hill in that aspect here. These Kidney Bean burgers not only taste amazing, I hope they also look amazing in these photos.

I made huge patties so just one of these is more than enough as a meal. But if you’re a glutton like me, you’ll probably try to eat the second one too, just for the sake of savoring that yummy taste from so many different layers of flavors and textures of the spicy bean burger.

The Kidney bean burger recipe patty mix is very simple, using kidney beans and potatoes and oats, my favorite binder these days. The oats add a robustness too. Use more oats if you want these burgers to stay strong on the grill.

I only used dry spices this time, but you can add some zesty minced veggies like celery, green peppers, mushrooms, grated carrots or beetroot and so on to up the veggie factor.

Now the sauce! The red sauce you see is actually a pretty spicy Red Chili Queso or Red Chili cheese sauce, my answer to Sriracha mayo! For a vegan version, just blitz together cayenne pepper, paprika, soaked cashews or almonds until you get a nice thick paste.

My coleslaw is home made and eggless, with a Greek Yogurt base.

Feel free to pile on onions, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce etc. – anything you like.

The Kidney bean burger recipe itself is vegan – you can omit dairy based additions like cheese, or use nondairy yogurt for the condiments.

Kidney Bean Burger Recipe

Made with pantry ingredients, this burger uses things that are available all year long. You can add other fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme etc. to bring a burst of freshness. So go ahead and try it out!