Black Bean Pumpkin Patties with Raw Kale Salad

I made this dish for Tuesday’s School of Christian Living dinner, and it was SUPER popular!  I have to admit I was really shocked by how much people liked this meal.  I was taking a chance on the raw kale.  I love salad and raw veggies, but I know they frequently feel like “health” food in the worst sense of the word.  And while this is definitely a healthy meal, it works together so perfectly.  The patties are creamy and tender with fragrant spices, the kale is hearty and chewy with a tart vinaigrette rubbed into each leaf.  It’s definitely a perfect pairing and works so much better than rolls would for these patties because they are so tender and creamy they would just blend with rolls.  With this salad, the patties really shine!

Black Bean Pumpkin Patties with Raw Kale Salad

Serves 10-12

Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

Salad:

• 2 bunches curly kale
• 1 romaine heart
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and shredded
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste

Black Bean Pumpkin Patties:

• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 9 scallions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I used fresh, but one 15oz can should work)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
• 3 (15oz) cans black beans
• 6 Tbsp flaxmeal
• 1 cup quick cooking oats (or bread crumbs, or rolled oats briefly processed)
• olive oil for cooking

To make the salad, tear the kale from the stems and into small bite size pieces, place in a large serving bowl.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the oil, lime juice, vinegar, coriander, salt and pepper.  Drizzle 1/3 to 1/2 the dressing on the kale and then massage the leaves.  Rub the dressing into the leaves until they’re all glossy and shiny looking.  Let sit while you assemble the rest of the meal (the kale can sit like this for about a week without getting soggy and unappealing like normal lettuce).  Just before serving, chop the romaine and cilantro, toss with grated carrots and kale.  Toss with a bit more dressing to taste, or serve it on the side.

In a food processor, combine garlic, scallions, pumpkin, chili powder, salt and cumin, pulse until well mixed.  Add rice,  2/3 of the beans, flaxmeal and oats, pulse to combine.  Remove mixture from food processor into a large bowl and mix in the remaining whole black beans.  At this point you can refrigerate it until you’re ready to cook.

Heat a large skillet with about 1 Tbsp oil over medium high heat.  Form the patties (should get about 20 3/4″ thick patties, I used a 1/3 cup scoop to form them) and carefully place in hot skillet.  Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden and heated through.  If cooking in batches, heat the oven to 300°F and keep the patties warm in the oven while you finish cooking them.  Serve over kale salad.