Guest Post - Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream

Don't forget to enter my 6th blogiversary GIVEAWAY before 11:59pm Thursday, August 9.

Today's guest post comes from Jenna at Jenna's Cooking Journey. Jenna is one of the ladies on my cooking board. We "met" when she started participating in the recipe swaps I host and our friendship developed from there. She recently moved to NJ from WY, which means we are finally going to have a chance to meet in person! I can't wait. We've got big foodie plans, namely heading into Philly to hit up the Reading Terminal Market. It's been wonderful to see her grow as a blogger and her recipes are always delicious.


I was so honored that Sarah asked me to do a guest post on her blog. I started my blog because of the recipe swaps that Sarah coordinates, so I guess in a way, Sarah is the reason that I started my blog. I have now been going one year strong and am glad that I still get to participate in the swaps Sarah hosts.

I have had my eye on these Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce ever since Sarah posted them back in June. I feel like it had two things going for it: 1) It seemed substantial enough that my husband wouldn’t walk away hungry (which sometimes happens during vegetarian nights at our house) and 2) These seem like they have a ton of flavor, which let’s face it using things like light sour cream makes some people think they’re sacrificing all the good flavor in a meal.

As I was constructing these, the critic came out a little bit in my husband. He sniffed the black bean puree in the food processor, and wrinkled his nose. He said, “Have you smelled that?” I laughed and said it probably smelled like black beans, and he walked away saying some other stuff about it. He promised he’d eat it happily since we haven’t had a bad meal in a long time. So, I shook my head at his judgment and kept constructing the patties.

I have to say that I thought the corn relish was one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long time. It was so bright and fresh that it was very hard for me not to snack on it while everything was coming together. I thought all the flavors were great in this dish. Everything complemented each other well and came together for a great meal. The only problem that I had was that my bean patties fell apart while I flipped them. I thought the mixture was firm enough, but apparently I should have added a little more panko. My husband didn’t complain about them, so he didn’t think they were bad, but I definitely could tell that he missed meat being on his plate.

Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream

For the patties:
2 (15 oz.) cans Reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roasted red bell peppers, 1 coarsely chopped, 1 finely minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
2/3 cup panko
Salt and pepper
Canola or vegetable oil

For the corn relish:
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups corn kernels
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin

For the avocado cream sauce:
1 avocado, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

1) Place half the beans in a food processor with coarsely chopped bell pepper, the eggs, oregano, and cumin. Process until smooth.

2) In a large bowl, lightly mash the remaining beans. Stir in the remaining bell pepper, onion, and smooth bean mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the panko mixing lightly. Chill for 30 minutes.

3) While the bean mixture is chilling, heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and sauté until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

4) Stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook about 1 minute.

5) Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the tomato, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6) To make the avocado cream sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

7) Form the bean mixture into patties. Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

8) Add the patties in batches, cooking until lightly browned and firm, about 3-4 minutes per side.

9) Serve the patties warm topped with the corn relish and drizzled with the avocado cream sauce.