Meatless Monday: Make Anderson Cooper's Favorite Veggie Burger

It’s no secret Anderson Cooper has a thing for fast food.

In March, the Anderson Cooper 360° anchor called himself a “total McDonald’s person” on former talk show Anderson Live—while wearing a shirt screen-printed with French fries. He also once told USA Today that his guilty pleasure is Boston Market, and has tweeted about his love of Big Macs.

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But the trim star also knows to mix in healthier fare: He is frequently spotted at New York City’s Bareburger ordering the black bean burger, a vegetarian patty cooked in good-for-you grape seed oil (it’s rich with healthy fats) and tucked between a multigrain bun.

With cheese, onions, corn, peppers, cumin, garlic and chili powder mixed into the patty, this burger is a lot more flavorful than anything you’ll get in a drive-through.

Black Bean Veggie Burger

Makes 6

1 bag (16 oz.) dried black beans

8 oz. vegan cheddar cheese, cut in 1-inch cubes

1 medium Spanish onion, diced finely

½ cup corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, diced finely

1 green bell pepper, diced finely

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ cup oat bran

¼ cup rice flour

¼ cup water

1 tbsp. sea salt

Grape seed oil

6 multigrain buns, toasted

1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

1 small tomato, sliced thinly

6 slices soy cheese (or regular cheese)

1. In a large bowl, soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse.

2. In a large pot, place beans in just enough water to cover 1-inch above the surface of the beans. Boil over high heat until tender. Cool beans and chop roughly.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine next 14 ingredients (vegan cheese through sea salt), mixing until all ingredients are evenly distributed. (You can also use a food processor.) Form mixture into 6 patties.

4. In a large skillet coated with grape seed oil, fry the patties over medium-high heat until crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

5. Serve burgers on multigrain buns topped with lettuce, onions, tomato and cheese, if desired.

RELATED: The Carnivore’s Guide to Loving Meatless Monday