Smoky Tempeh & Black Bean Burgers (22g Protein)

Tempeh is one of the most protein-dense things a plant-based burger can be built on, and here it teams up with black beans and sweet potato for a patty that eats like the diner classic. Smoked paprika and a splash of tamari supply the barbecue depth without any grease.

Ingredients

• 200g tempeh, crumbled
• 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small baked sweet potato (about 150g flesh), mashed
• 150g cooked short-grain brown rice
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp low-salt tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Splash of unsweetened soya milk, if needed
• 4 wholegrain buns and your usual trimmings, to serve

Method

1. 1Pulse the black beans in a food processor until roughly broken up but still chunky, then tip into a large bowl with the crumbled tempeh, mashed sweet potato and cooked brown rice.
2. 2Add the ketchup, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, tamari, cider vinegar and smoked paprika. Knead the mixture together with your hands until it binds, adding a splash of soya milk only if it feels dry. Chill for an hour if you have the time — the patties hold together better for it.
3. 3Shape into 4 patties about 2cm thick, pressing the edges flat and round.
4. 4Cook in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn and give the other side 4-5 minutes until browned and hot through. (Or bake at 180C/160C fan for 20 minutes.)
5. 5Serve in the buns with whatever trimmings your appetite stretches to.

Tips for GLP-1 appetites

• Short-grain rice is stickier than long-grain and is what binds the patty — swap it and the burger may crumble.
• Tempeh’s firm bite makes this the most substantial burger of the set; go open-faced if a full bun feels like too much.