Adzuki Beanballs

It's amazing how similar beans are to meat, they are filling and often resemble meat when you make them into a burger or patty. Even better is that beans are way higher in fiber and way lower in cholesterol and don't contain what was once a living creature. I love how beans can fill the meat void and provide a protein filled meal. My favorite beans are chickpeas because I've done the most with them as far as making recipes but adzuki beans are becoming a favorite.

I first heard of adzuki beans when I got Alicia Silverstone's cookbook for Christmas, she makes an awesome bean and squash dish that is divine. Adzuki beans are brown and don't need to be soaked beforehand. You rinse them and boil them until they are soft and they have a mushy quality that is great for making burgers. I tested out this recipe by making burgers and beanballs using different methods. The second time I baked the recipe and it turned out better than the burgers did. You can make burgers or beanballs in a skillet using coconut oil or olive oil or bake them in the oven; either way you get a great result. If you save some of your burgers and reheat them, they will probably be crumbly and more likely to fall apart but they still taste the same.

When I made the burger, I put it on sourdough bread with a good helping of cabbage and ate it that. I cooked the burgers with way too much coconut oil which made them a little too soft and moist so they didn't stay intact. My advice: use just a little oil and keep the heat low. Sautee them with some fresh garlic and onions and keep flipping them. I'll give you the recipe for both sauteeing and baking.

To make the burger or beanballs, here is the recipe:

1 cup of cooked adzuki beans

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of fresh garlic chopped

1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

2 tbsp of olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Put all of your ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well. The mixture should end up being doughy and easy to form into patties or beanballs. If you are cooking these on the stove, use 1 tbsp of coconut oil and turn your heat on low. Add your garlic and onion and turn the heat up until the onion is transparent and the garlic browns a little. Add your patties and turn the heat low, flipping the patties (or beanballs) over to cook on all sides. The burgers may be easier to cook on the stove while the beanballs are better in the oven.

For the oven, combine your ingredients and mix well. Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Serve the bean balls with pasta, anyway you like your pasta. 

Love my recipes and want them delivered right to your inbox? Click here to sign up!