Lunch: Red Beans-and-Rice Veggie Burgers Recipe | MyRecipes

Recipe by Vanessa McNeil Rocchio Stirring the rice as it cooks releases the starch that helps hold the veggie patties together. Want to go beyond vegetarian? Top these burgers with grilled shrimp or sausage.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 (16-oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup minced green bell pepper
1/3 cup minced sweet onion
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
2 tablespoons minced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 butter lettuce leaves
6 (1/2-inch-thick) crusty bread slices, toasted

Instructions

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in rice. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Mash red kidney beans in a large bowl with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in bell pepper, next 5 ingredients, and cooked rice until well blended. Shape mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties.
Cook 3 patties in 1 1/2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and patties.
Stir together mayonnaise, Creole mustard, green onions, and parsley. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each bread slice; top each with 1 patty and desired amount of mayonnaise mixture.