Black eyed pea patties can be served anytime of the day. They’re at their best when warm, but retain a lot of texture at room temperature which makes them a great choice to carry with you for a meal on the go. They can be eaten plain as shown, or served up sandwich style with your favorite fixings.
While some are definitely better than others, in general I’m not a fan of processed veggie burgers. On the other hand I don’t always feel like dealing with ground meat just to satisfy a burger urge. Patties like these have a good texture and serve as good vehicles for your favorite toppings.
Black eyed peas have a distinct flavor. They’re kind of earthy and retain a bit of chewiness after they’ve been cooked. When paired with chopped, canned mushrooms the result is a patty that browns up nicely and isn’t mushy inside. The nice thing about this recipe is you can use whatever you have on hand as a binder. This one, from The V Word, uses nutritional yeast and brown rice flour. Anna from Stuffed Veggies (my original inspiration) uses vital wheat gluten and mentions dehydrated potato flakes will also work. The recipe from VegWeb which inspired Anna used potato flour. You’ll find other recipes which use plain flour or bread crumbs to bind the mix together.
Likewise, you can mix up the flavor in each batch with a few simple changes to the seasoning mix. If you want a breakfast style patty add fennel and a some maple syrup. If you prefer a hot sausage add red pepper flakes or cayenne. You could also add fresh herbs and raw or sauteed onions and peppers. You’re only limited by your imagination and what you have on hand.
These are easy to prepare ahead of time and leave in the fridge until ready to cook. I’ve found a cooling period helps prevent my veggie burgers from falling apart when I turn them.
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can black eyed peas drained and rinsed (or 2 cups already prepared)
- 1 4 ounce can mushroom slices finely chopped
- 1/2 half cup vital wheat gluten potato flakes or whatever flour you have available
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
- oil for frying
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoning according to your taste and set aside. You don't have to use all of it to season the patties.
- Add the black eyed peas, chopped mushrooms, seasoning mix and tomato paste to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix thoroughly. Add more flour if needed to hold together.
- Portion and form into patties. I get four burger sized patties from this mix.
- Let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer.
- When ready to cook cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat until shimmering.
- Transfer the patties to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Allow to cook undisturbed until they release easily from the pan. Flip and cook the other side. Mine took 8 minutes per side.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
It’s not necessary to use all the seasoning mix but you may find, as we did, that they’re pretty bland without it. We ate ours with leftover salsa brava from another meal and served them with a side of potatoes and corn.
I like black-eyed peas a lot! They definitely have an earthy flavor, as you said, and to me that’s part of their appeal. Terrific recipe! Really creative — thanks.