According to People Magazine, Anderson Cooper is very much a MacDonald’s fan, but he also frequents NYC’s Bareburger to satisfy his favorite veggie burger craving–a black bean vegan burger served with cilantro lime dressing. Yum! Scroll down for the recipe!

Last night, I was so excited when my friend (and former co-worker) Carla gave me her extra tickets to see Anderson speak at UTA’s Maverick Speaker Series. Check out Carla’s Twitter to see the developments of last night’s talk, including a direct tweet from the silver fox himself.

It was an inspiring event, especially for the aspiring student journalists in the audience. When asked about the best piece of advice he could give, this was his tip for all students:

Out-hustle and out-work everyone around you.

Wonderful advice! While I am not an aspiring journalist, I am passionate about making a positive difference in this world, whether it be through helping others, writing, vegan activism, or sustainable design (my dream is to be able to do a lot…and finish grad school). I’ve been seeking opportunities to take this advice to heart. Last week, I applied to a few positions that are in line with my passions, and I’m excited about the future!

Before attending last night’s event, my cousin and I made the aforementioned vegan burger in honor of the occasion. It seemed fitting to us. We used Bareburger’s recipe on People Magazine’s blog, and made a few adjustments of our own.

Anderson Cooper’s Favorite Vegan Burger
from Bareburger
(original recipe said 6 patties, but we made 10)

Ingredients (my adjustments and add-ins are italicized):

• 16 oz dried black beans
• 8 oz. vegan cheddar cheese, cut into 1″ cubes (we used Daiya)
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced finely
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 red bell pepper, diced finely
• 1 green bell pepper, diced finely
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 T sea salt (scant)
• 2 t mushroom powder (or no-salt seasoning)
• 3/4 t ground paprika
• grape seed oil

For the rest of the steps, check out the original recipe here. I found that the water mentioned near the end of their ingredient list was unnecessary, so I left it out. Also, instead of roughly chopping the black beans, I put them in the food processor, which made everything stick together better for me. Good luck!

Serving suggestions:

Dress up your burger with baby spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, avocado slices, and some vegan cashew cheese sauce!

For the cheese sauce, I used this recipe from Lindsay Loves Veggies. I highly suggest soaking the cashews overnight or boiling them for 15 minutes beforehand.

These burgers really hit the spot! I would suggest making them on a Sunday night and freezing the patties to use throughout the week.

Come back Thursday for a Valentine’s Day recipe!

Related articles:

• Bean and Zucchini Cutlets (vegansandra.com)
• Black-Eyed Pea Vegan Burgers (chow.com)
• 20 Delicious Vegan Burger Recipes (theflamingvegan.com)
• How to Prep and Freeze Veggie Burgers: A Tutorial (ohsheglows.com)