I’ve recently made an effort to eat more plant-based foods. I’m not going full-on vegetarian, but I’m trying to cut out as much meat from my diet as possible. I’ll spare you all the details about how meat consumption is linked to environmental problems, but with all the stuff I read at work I guess it was only a matter of time before I ended up here.

These black bean burgers were incredibly filling and satisfying, and a great way to get some more fiber in your diet! The jalapeño-lime crema is seriously addictive, and you’ll want to make a big batch so you can keep some on hand to add to…. well, everything.

For the burgers, you’ll need:

• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 white onion
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• spinach or lettuce
• burger buns
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

And for the jalapeño crema, you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 jalapeños (with seeds and ribs!)
• 3/4 cup cilantro
• zest and juice of 1 lime (or 2 limes, if they’re on the smaller side)
• salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bust out your food processor and make the cream first. Add all the ingredients to your bowl and blend until it forms a sauce, then set aside.

Clean your bowl, and add the bell pepper, garlic, and onion. Pulse until it’s finely chopped: 

Throw your black beans right into the bowl and process until the beans are broken down and you have a super thick paste. You still want to see chunks of everything.

Beat the egg with hot sauce, cumin, and chili powder and mix that into your black bean mixture. Add the bread crumbs and give everything a good stir until you’ve got a mixture you can mold into patties.

This recipe makes four large patties. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and make sure to brush it with oil so the patties don’t stick. Bake them for 10 minutes on each side:

Create your own burger and add whatever toppings you’d like! I used a brioche bun, and added the jalapeño crema and spinach.