These Mediterranean Bean Burgers are not your average bean burger recipe! With kalamata olives, fresh oregano, and other inspired seasonings these veggie burgers are BIG on flavor, while being low in fat.
In fact, these vegan burgers are one of my favorite recipes in Let Them Eat Vegan (as many of you know, there is a full burger chapter in that book).
True, I have a few other veggie burger faves, like Umami Burgers, Artichoke Burgers, and Mushroom Pecan Burgers. But these? They really “use your bean”. 😉 (guys, I have laptop stickers coming with that phrase)
And I love beans, so they are an easy fave for me. But, I was surprised how much our daughters loved these burgers when I first created them.
Mediterranean Bean Burgers: Why They’re Great!
- First, they use kidney beans, which become very creamy when pureed.
- Second, they have a unique blend of seasonings for a vegetarian burger! How often have you had olives and fresh oregano in a burger?! Don’t skip the balsamic vinegar – or any of the ingredients. It’s flavor synergy.
- This great flavor comes without much added fat (mostly the olives). So, these are exceptional burgers for those looking for a low-fat vegan burger recipe.
- Finally, they are easy to make. Everything into the food processor, then on to cooking. Here are the ingredients waiting for action in my food processor. Having a processor that’s at least 14 cups is very useful to prep burger recipes like these.
Veggie Burger FAQs
- Can another bean be substituted for kidney beans?
- I love using kidney beans, for their beautiful color and creamy texture. A good substitute would be white beans (cannellini).
- I don’t like olives, can I omit them?
- You bet! In fact, I make a few patties without them (see recipe instructions) and then add in the olives to the remaining burger mixture.
- Can these burgers be baked in the oven?
- Absolutely. I typically bake patties at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
- Can I freeze these Mediterranean Bean Burgers?
- Yes! In fact, you can freeze just about all veggie burger patties. To do so, prep the batch, then shape in patties (do not cook first). Place in an airtight container, separating the patties with pieces of parchment. To cook, let thaw and you’re in business.
- Is it better to cook the burgers on the stove or in the oven?
- For me, it’s easier to bake them, but I prefer the texture cooking stovetop. Do use a good non-stick pan to cook the burger patties, like a ScanPan.
- How do I keep the burger patties from falling apart?
- These veggie burgers hold together well, but there are a few tips: 1) try to flip just once when cooking 2) don’t flip until the first side is browned 3) best to cook stovetop or in the oven (see above), unless you have a solid grill pan.
- What condiments do I use with these Mediterranean Bean Burgers?
- Really, it’s up to you. I love some sliced avocado or guac with these burgers, so show that option in the photos. However, you can absolutely use traditional toppings (with or without the avocado). Try mustard, vegan mayo or cashew cream, ketchup, relish, and other toppings like pickles and fresh veg.
Guys, I hope you love these burgers. Please share your thoughts and how you like to serve ’em! x Dreena
Looking for more veggie burger recipes? Check these out!
- Artichoke Burgers
- Beet Burger Recipe
- Nutty Veggie Burgers
- Lentil Walnut Burgers
- Cauliflower Bean Burgers
- Mushroom Pecan Veggie Burgers
- Umami Almond, Quinoa, and Sundried Tomato Burgers
Mediterranean Bean Burgers link to print/share
Kalamata olives, fresh oregano, and other Mediterranean-inspired seasonings give these healthy meat-free burgers a perky twist!
Ingredients
- 2 cans 14 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 to 2 medium to large cloves garlic roughly chopped (use 1 for kid-friendly)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon little generous Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup green onions sliced (using mostly green portion, and less white)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or fresh basil (or both) roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (fresh is best, but if you don’t have it, substitute about 1 1/2 – 2 tsp dried oregano)
- 1/2 teaspoon rounded sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats use certified gluten-free for that option
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives roughly chopped (see note)
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper optional, see note
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the kidney beans, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, and mustard. Pulse until pureed. Add the green onions, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste, and process to break up and blend. Add the oats and pulse to begin to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl (or remove the blade) and stir in the olives and red pepper (if using; see note). Refrigerate the mixture for 30 to 45 minutes, then shape into patties with your hands (see note). To cook, wipe a smidgen of oil over a non-stick skillet on medium/medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Alternatively, bake the patties for about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once through cooking. Makes 6-7 patties.
Notes
- If This Apron Could Talk: If you have family members that don’t care for olives, simply remove a scoop of the mixture before adding the olives and form into a patty or two. And the red peppers add a touch of freshness and texture to the burgers, but can be easily omitted—or, as with the olives, you can make some patties without them before adding the diced peppers.
- Refrigerating the mixture is important as it helps the burger mixture firm up. When you first start to pulse in the oats, the mixture will appear somewhat loose. But, the oats absorb moisture as the mixture sits and refrigerates, and once you remove to shape into patties you’ll notice the mixture has firmed up some.
- Ingredients 411: If you dislike olives and want to omit them altogether, note that you may want to add another few pinches of salt to season the mixture, as the olives contribute a salty bite.
This post was originally published May 2013 and updated with photos and instructions in October 2021.
Cam Alexander says
I really liked these. I halved the batch and used green olives with pimento since I didn’t have any greek olives. I will make these again!
nina from so cal says
How do we watch the video ? What is the helpful hint about the blade ?
Dreena says
Hi Nina, sorry about that I think a version of my older blog post went out. Here’s that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1BRuU0Ods (I didn’t have much video skill so there’s not a lot of food shots – why I removed the vid)
melody says
just wondering if these are mushy at all im gonna make these sounds great
Monica says
Hi Dreena, Love your recipes! I use your PPF book all the time. My question about these burgers: if I don’t use a food processor, can I just mix by hand? (I’m leaving out olives, red peppers, and maybe scallions.) Thanks for all you do.
Terri Clinton says
Finally a burger recipe I love enough to make again! I left out the olives, not a fan. Delicious!
Dreena says
Thanks Terri, so glad to hear it! Appreciate the feedback and great review.
Tracey says
Do you have a calorie count breakdown of this recipe?
Katie says
Do you think capers could be a good substitute for olives?
Claire says
I can confidently say these are delicious! Even though I’m only half way through Mixture is currently chilling but it tastes divine. I’d also have this as a pate on toast, if I weren’t gluten free
KNBvW says
Hey Claire did you know you can find GF oats fairly easily…www.BobsRedMill.com is ubiquitous in any decent sized grocery & though more $ yah reg. oats worth it for some.
Anita Houser says
So happy to find your website and this recipe! I’ve been on a search to find a healthy alternative to store bought processed veggie burgers. Made your recipe tonight and my family and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This is a HUGE WIN!!!! Healthy, delicious, and inexpensive!! Thank you so much. Will DEFINITELY add this to our rotation.
Nina says
I’ve made this recipe SO many times and always get rave reviews from everyone I cook them for. They are easy to make and and stay together so well when frying them up. This is the only type of veggie burger I make anymore – thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Virginia Morrison says
Delicious. I made them with black beans. They are going in my regular dinner rotation!
Michelle says
I made these (altered slightly to accomodate time of day (late!) and what I had on hand (no tom. puree). Chilled overnight and cooked on grill at work. Everyone loved them (even carnivores). Making with Orca beans & double recipe so I get more than 1/2!!! Next time maybe black eyed peas! Thank you for all of your creative and delicious recipes 🙂
Jasmin says
Cindi, Do you have a recipe for your gluten free roti?
Thanks!
Tawm says
We made these tonight and I loved them and so did my girlfriend. We really liked how they are filling and heavy like real burger. And all those flavors mixed in really came together. We’ll be making these time and time again. Thanks Dreena!
Violet says
These were really good. I didn’t have olives or red pepper so I just left them out. By far the best veggie burger I have made.
pretzel says
Can I sub regular onion or something else for the green onion? If not then I will head to the store!
Dreena says
Regular onion will be much stronger than green, so either saute it down first to mellow the flavor, or maybe use just a couple of tbsps, chopped.
pretzel says
Thanks! Will use the green onions this time but maybe next time use onions in a pinch.
pretzel says
Wow, these are amazing just as everyone else said! Best veggie burger I have made so far.
I used more garlic and extra fresh oregano since I’m an adult. I probably ate a whole burger’s worth of uncooked mix before I cooked the burgers! The mix tastes great on it’s own and I think would be delicious spread on toast, wrapped in a tortilla, or even used as a dip. Loved the burgers with pickles and plan to try with avocado. Will definitely make these flavor-packed burgers again and again.
Dreena says
Delighted to hear it, thanks!
Jordanna DeHond says
I will try these bergers tonight. Thank you.
Heather says
Very good. I made these today. I am not vegan, but my son who is 9 cannot eat dairy, gluten or eggs. This leaves his protein choices pretty limited anyway. We enjoyed these. He cannot have oats (not even the gluten free ones) so I replaced those with quinoa flakes. I also added seasoned salt. Thanks!
Gayle Opie says
Thanks for the recipe — it looks great and I’m going to try it very soon. I enjoyed the video, however, it would be better to see what you are doing while listening to you rather than to watch you talk and see none of the action. I understand that your camera person is a young girl but maybe a little instruction on following the action would be helpful. She did a good job other than that and maybe she has a videography career ahead of her.
Julie says
I just discovered your website and this is the first recipe I made! I made it tonight together with your white bean hummus with thyme and basil recipe. They are both incredible!!! The best veggie burger we’ve made yet – great texture, great flavors, great ingredients! And the hummus is absolutely wonderful too! We’ll be making both again this weekend. These would be wonderful to make for company too! Thank you Dreena! I will definitely be getting your cookbooks!
bev says
I’ve got to get your book!
Cindi says
These were fantastic! I made a gluten free roti recipe and shaped those into bun sizes. My honey and I were doing the happy food dance. We liked them so much we ordered your cookbook. We’ve been eating plant-based for just 3 months and have enjoyed more flavor than ever before. I’m loving learning to cook. Thanks for making me look good, Dreena!
Dreena says
So pleased to hear it Cindi! Isn’t it amazing to explore new flavors, textures, foods, and cuisines? I have found we just keep learning and exploring, it can be a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy LTEV. 🙂
k. sparrow says
Oooh, Dreena, these look (great photos!) and sound deelishous! Thank you for the video, I enjoyed you and your daughter (hah!) and your blade cleaning trick. I have been smelling the charcoal grills firing up around my neighborhood, so my palate is def. craving some awesome plant powered burgers..and I will satisfy that sooner rather than later because of these non-traditional burgers you have proffered. I didn’t know that I could put so much vegetable goodness in a burger mix and it would hold together, fabulous!
Jen Brice says
In the spring of 2008, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery to remove her right breast and many lymph nodes, my mom has been dealing with lymphedema the past five years. On a recent CAT scan, a few small tumors were found where her lymph nodes used to be and they are slowly growing and causing my moms lymphedema to be even worse causing her constant pain on top of the stress of the news. My mom has decided to take an all natural path to healing with Dr. Keith Nemec at Total Health Institute in Wheaton, IL. The treatment plan is very thorough, my mom is completely changing her diet to eat an all vegetarian diet that avoids all sugars, meats, dairy, and processed foods. The treatments with Dr. Nemec are all natural and will take the next six months to cure my mom of cancer. Due to the high success rate and insurance not covering any of the treatments, my parents are facing a very large medical bill of which they’ve had to take a huge loan out to pay for it. I’ve set up a free fundraiser website so that I can help my parents pay for my moms medical bills. Any amount helps. Your website is inspiration and very helpful for my mom as she transitions into a vegan lifestyle. Thank you for your informative website!
https://www.youcaring.com/helplaurabeatcancer
Allison says
I made these last night, loved them! I’ll be making the double batch next time to freeze some. I also made your
“Raw-nch dressing” from LTEV for a veggie dip, it’s one of my favorites. Thanks!
Jessi says
I made the burgers today and they will surely become a staple in my kitchen. They are so incredibly delicious. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe
katy sparrow says
Oooh, Dreena, these look (great photos!) and sound deelishous! Thank you for the video, I enjoyed you and your daughter (hah!) and your blade cleaning trick. I have been smelling the charcoal grills firing up around my neighborhood, so my palate is def. craving some awesome plant powered burgers..and I will satisfy that sooner rather than later because of these non-traditional burgers you have proffered. I didn’t know that I could put so much vegetable goodness in a burger mix and it would hold together, fabulous!
Nadine says
I’ve had your chickpea falafel and chickpea burgers for 4 nights in a row and I want you to know that every single recipe I make of yours… turns out AMAZING!!! I am buying all of your cookbooks. I really appreciate you sharing your recipes online because it gave me a chance to try them before I buy your books. Made your chickpea burgers for my vegetarian in-laws and they were all raving about them too. Thanks for the fantastic food 🙂
Question for this recipe – can the tomato be omitted or replaced? Thanks
katy sparrow says
Hi Nadine, I used Thai Kitchen Red Curry paste in place of tomato paste (because I love red curry paste!) so that’s a sub. that you may or may not like. Oh, and because the red curry paste has salt, I didn’t add the sea salt that Dreena’s [awesome!] recipe calls for.
Laurie says
Loved the video and I was especially thrilled to learn your secrets for getting mixtures out of the food processor so neatly! Very Cool!! 🙂 I’m excited to try your burgers. I have loved ALL of your recipes, Dreena! Thanks again
Dreena says
Thanks much, Laurie! Glad the tip is helpful for you, I get a silly satisfaction from it… not letting any morsels of goodness get away. 😉
Zoe says
These look great! Wish I’d seen this post 6 hours ago! I made burgers tonight which were ok but not great and I have all the ingredients in for these! Ach well, next time. I’m waiting patiently for my copy of LTEV to arrive, so excited. Love love love Dreena and Daughters videos. I second Emma, you truely are a fantastic advert for vegan health – keep up the fab work.
Dreena says
Always a next time, Zoe! 🙂 Hope you love LTEV – and you’ll have plenty of yummy burgers to choose from when it does hit your doorstep! (and thank you)
Marissa says
I’ve made these burgers several times, and they are always a big hit. I like to make these for dinner guests because I can freeze the remaining burgers and give them a gift to take home with them 🙂
Carrie says
I really enjoy the Dreena & Daughter videos 🙂 I’m a HUGE fan of your Nutty Veggie Burgers and was actually planning on making these ones this week. How weird is that? Now that I’ve seen the finished product, I want them even more. Thanks Dreena!
Dreena says
YAY! Glad you like the vids, Carrie… they aren’t exactly proper cooking videos, we don’t always get in on the food enough, but we try our best without making it shaky throughout! 😉 We must have been on a burger wavelength… enjoy my dear! (and the new blog looks great, btw!)
Carrie says
I really enjoy the Dreena & Daughter videos. I’m a huge fan of your nutty burgers and was planning on making these ones this week. How funny is that? Now that I’ve seen pictures of the finished product, I can’t wait.
Carrie says
My first response didn’t show up, so I re-sent it. Sorry this is on here twice.
Dreena says
no worries! 🙂
Karen says
Those look so yummy and the tip to freeze them without cooking is so helpful. I just have to tell you that Let Them Eat Vegan is in my top ten best cookbook list and I have a LOT of cookbooks. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the picture.
Dreena says
ohhh, that is most awesome to read, Karen. Thank you. Hope you enjoy these burgers as much as other things you’ve tried in LTEV. Have a sweet weekend!
Laura says
These look fantastic! I’ve had LTEV for a while now and can’t seem to get past the mushroom pecan burgers (so delicious) but may need to give these a whirl tonight. Also, sounds like your camera-person is attempting to get discovered 😉
Dreena says
haha, yep, she enjoys making her voice “known”. It’s actually been weird to listen to that video now, b/c she’s a year older and sounds very different!! And, hey, nothing wrong with being in a mushroom pecan burger fan, Laura! 😉
Emma says
Oooh scrumptious. I don’t know why I never use kidney beans, they only every make it into veggie chili in my kitchen. Any other recs for dishes to use them in? Thanks so much for all the tips too, definitely going to use that one for getting all the mixture off the blade.
Dreena says
Emma, I love them in hummus! Ok, I know it breaks the hummus rules, but I sometimes make a full hummus with them, like a black bean dip but with kidney beans (b/c I think they taste better), or a mix with chickpeas and it turns little pink! Add smoky spices/lime juice, parsley/basil/or cilantro, etc… yummy! Hope you enjoy the burgers!
Tiffany says
Dreena, you always have the most flavorful and delicious recipes! Summer has finally begun for me and I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and cook! First up your sundried tomato burgers from plant powered 15! Hope you have a great weekend 🙂 xoxo
Dreena says
Aw, that is sweetness, my thanks Tiffany. Enjoy your weekend, filled with delish veg burgers!! 😀
Tiffany says
Dreena, the sundried tomato burgers were so easy to prepare! It all came together so quickly and they were absolutely delicious!! Thank you for such wonderful recipes! I don’t know what to make next, every recipe sounds amazing! 🙂
Pua says
I’ve been nervous about making veggie burgers – I’m not the best cook! – but these look so good that I think I’ll have to give them a try. Thank you!
Dreena says
oh, Pua, please don’t be! These are really VERY easy. If you have a food processor, you are in business – it does 90% of the work for you. And, you don’t have to shape the patties ‘perfectly’ either – I never do! Just get a patty formed, pop in the pan, and be happy with yourself b/c you will have MADE veggie burgers!!! 🙂
Emma says
We all love those burgers over here too. Kidney beans are my favorite (homemade in the pressure cooker – perfect).
As an aside, boy, you sure are a picture of glowy, gorgeous, vegan health, Dreena.
Dreena says
Thanks Emma! On the burgers – and the compliment. Geez. Wow, that was nice to hear, I was a bit critical of myself watching the video (we always *are* our worst critics… except on YouTube – I’ve had some pretty big critics there, lol)! I love kidney beans so much too, far more than black beans or pinto or adzuki, etc. Thanks for the note. hugs!