Quinoa and Black Bean Cakes with Cumin & Chile

by Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

February 27, 2013 • 4 comments

Quinoa, spices pat into a tasty vegetarian burger

Breaking news: My husband agreed to eat one vegetarian meal per week. Upon hearing his statement, I had to act quickly. But why cook quinoa in plain water when you can cook it in delicious vegetable broth? That got me thinking about combining two of my favorite spices—cumin and chile powder, giving these patties a Southwestern profile.

Since quinoa is a complete vegan protein, you can count on these cakes doubling as your center-of-plate protein and whole grain. I recommend serving these with avocado for creaminess and salsa or taco sauce for an additional pop of flavor. You will find this gluten-free grain either in the natural foods section of your grocery store or with the rices.

In this dish ground flaxseed contributes fiber, omega-3 ALAs and phytochemicals while serving as the binding agent for all of the ingredients. Store open bags of flaxseed in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer.

Print Recipe

1 cup (173 g) dry quinoa

2 teaspoons (10 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

2 scallions, green and white parts divided, thinly sliced

1 3/4 cups (420 ml) organic or reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (100 g) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup (45 g) roasted red bell peppers, diced

2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon (7 g) ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water

1 tablespoon (12 g) nutritional yeast seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Sliced avocado and salsa

In a medium saucepan, cover quinoa with water and soak for 5 minutes. Stir quinoa, pour into a fine strainer and rinse with cool water. Heat the saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add quinoa and white parts of scallions and cook until quinoa becomes aromatic and slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes to continue to absorb the moisture. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Push quinoa to one side of the pot and add black beans to the other side. Mash with a fork just until all of the beans have been broken in half, but are not mushy. Add green parts of scallions (reserving 1 tablespoon), bell peppers, lemon juice, flaxseed slurry, nutritional yeast, cumin and chili powder and stir all together with the quinoa and beans.

Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop the quinoa mixture and place into evenly spaced mounds on the sheet pan. Shape into 1/2-inch patties. Brush the tops with oil and bake for 20 minutes, until the cakes are slightly dried and cohesive.

Serve with avocados, salsa, and remaining green scallions.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Makes 4 servings, 3 cakes each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 363 calories, 7 g total fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 683 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 40 g total carbohydrate (8 g fiber), 12 g protein, 22% DV iron, 7% DV calcium, 4% DV Vitamin A, 16% DV Vitamin C.