Sweet for Sweet Potato Burgers

Hello, lover. Basic veggie burgers be gone because I’m some kind of sweet for these vegan and gluten free sweet potato burgers. Loaded with quinoa and Cannellini beans for a protein packed patty of sweet, sweet goodness. 

With Memorial Day coming up, I’ve got burgers on my mind, veggie burgers, that is. While anyone can make a good burger, veggie burgers are a bit trickier to navigate and the frozen ones are generally loaded with all kinds of fillers or isolates to amplify the protein. And let’s be honest, the Morning Star burgers are good, not great. When I want to sink my teeth into a burger, I want big juicy greatness to make it worth the while. Enter, the the sweet potato burger.

These sweet potato burgers can come together in less than 20 minutes if you follow a few hacks. First, microwaving a sweet potato is totally righteous and will save mega time. Pierce with a fork, place on a microwave safe plate and heat for 5-7 minutes. Baking might be better, but ain’t nobody got time for that. Second, make the quinoa in advance so you can just throw it right in. I usually make a big batch of quinoa every Sunday and throw it in everything from stir fries to burrito bowls and salads. These two hacks will save you upwards of an hour! Hello, I have things to do and people to see!

Now my one precaution with this recipe is that it is very sticky. Two things can help: 1.) consider refrigerating the mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and 2.) option to coat the patties in panko bread crumbs, which also gives it a nice crisp on the outer edge. Honestly, I don’t usually do either, but you do have to be very careful when flipping and make sure to have a nice sear on the bottom before you flip so they don’t fall apart.

Other than that, these are a piece of cake and re-heat super well. If making on the grill, I highly suggest placing them on a sheet of tin foil. Happy flippin’ burger season, friends!

Sweet Potato Burgers with Quinoa
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
– 1 sweet potato
– 1 15 oz. can of Cannellini beans
– 3/4 C cooked quinoa
– 1/4 white onion
– 1/2 tsp garlic powder
– 1 T nutritional yeast
– 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Step 1: Cook the sweet potato. Poke holes around the sweet potato with fork. Place on a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your sweet potato. The sweet potato is done when you can easily pierce through the center with a fork. Let cool, then peel away the skin and place the flesh of the sweet potato in a medium mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the onion to a food processor and pulse on high until medium diced. Rinse the Cannellini beans and add to the food processor. Pulse with the onions until you form a rough paste, allowing for some lumps of partial beans, which give the burger texture.

Step 3: Add the bean mixture and the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl with the sweet potato flesh. Mix well. Form the mixture into 4 patties.

Step 4: Heat a skillet to medium and grease with coconut oil or your favorite oil/spray. Add the patties to the skillet, 2 at a time, if needed. Brown each side for about 5 minutes, being careful when you flip.

Step 5: Assemble the burgers with your favorite fixin’s! Shown: avocado, tomato and purple daikon on a pretzel bun.

*Recipe adapted from Popsugar.