I’m teaming up with California Avocados to bring you these vegetarian black bean sliders, topped with a creamy avocado sauce.



So, you know that awkward moment when you are grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs for all of your summer barbecue guests, and you realize that one of your friends is a vegetarian, but you have absolutely nothing to feed them, except for a potato salad and a cob of grilled corn? We’ve all been there.

Well, these vegetarian burgers are so good that all of your meat-loving friends might start begging for their own black bean slider. And what about the kids? Well, my two boys asked me to make a double batch next time. I’d say that’s a rave review.



If you have leftover brown rice on hand (as we often do) and cans of black beans in the pantry (as we ALWAYS do), these burgers come together really quickly. Throw the black beans and brown rice in the food processor, along with a few other ingredients, such as sauteed onions and chipotle peppers.

If you’re watching your carb intake and prefer to go bun-free, you could serve these patties tucked inside of lettuce wraps. But whatever you do, don’t miss out on the avocado sauce.

As part of my ambassadorship for the California Avocado Commission, I am lucky enough to receive regular shipments of beautiful, creamy avocados. However, you may have noticed that avocados are appearing in abundance in every supermarket right now. We are entering the height of the growing season, and the avocados are begging to be chopped, pureed and eaten straight up.

If you prefer a vegan sauce, replace the Greek yogurt with an equal amount of olive oil. And you might consider making a double batch so that you can spread this sauce on every piece of food that crosses your plate.

The recipe:

The burgers:

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add black beans, brown rice and lime juice. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.

Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs.

Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes per side. If the skillet is not large enough to fit all of the patties, cook them in two batches.

The sauce:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chopped California avocado, cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper and salt. Puree until smooth.

Assembling:

Divide the avocado sauce between the rolls.

Top each with one black bean patty and one slice of tomato. Serve.

Other avocado recipes:



Cookin’ Canuck’s Shrimp, Avocado & Spring Noodle Spring Rolls

Cookin’ Canuck’s Kicked-Up Avocado Margaritas

Southern Fairytale’s Salmon Patties with Avocado & Spicy Chipotle Avocado Aioli

I Wash…You Dry’s Quinoa Avocado Sushi

Dine & Dish’s Cobb Salad Stuffed Pita Pockets with California Avocados

Black Bean Sliders Recipe with Creamy Avocado Sauce I'm teaming up with California Avocados to bring you these vegetarian black bean sliders, topped with a creamy avocado sauce. Print Pin Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 8 Sliders Calories: 267 kcal Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck Ingredients The Burgers: 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon canola oil divided

1/2 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 medium chipotle pepper seeded & minced

3/4 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons minced cilantro The Sauce: 1 California avocado chopped

1/4 cup minced cilantro

2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small chipotle pepper seeded & minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 whole wheat dinner rolls but in half

2 Roma tomatoes sliced Instructions The Burgers: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add black beans, brown rice and lime juice. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.

Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about ¼ cup each) and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs.

Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes per side. If the skillet is not large enough to fit all of the patties, cook them in two batches. The Sauce: While the patties are resting in the fridge, make the sauce.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper and salt. Puree until smooth. Assembling: Divide the avocado sauce between the rolls (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sauce per roll). Top each with one black bean patty and one slice of tomato. Serve. Notes WW (Old Points) 4 / WW (Points+) 6 Nutrition Serving: 1 Slider | Calories: 267 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 1 mg | Sodium: 597 mg | Potassium: 326 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 215 IU | Vitamin C: 7.5 mg | Calcium: 109 mg | Iron: 2.8 mg Tried this recipe? If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: This recipe was created as part of my partnership and ambassadorship with the California Avocado Commission (CAC). All opinions expressed are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.