I’m an any-time of the year sweet potato gal. They may not be in season but I still flock to them every time I walk down the produce aisle. Probably ranking them as my #1 choice vegetable. No, not probably. Definitely.
Usually I just wedge them up and throw them in the oven to roast. Eat ‘em with some ketchup. Call it a day. Although I have to admit, ever since I have been in Germany I have been unable to come up with crisp-roasted sweet potatoes. My European oven only makes soggy, mushy sweet potato fries. Bummer.
I saw this recipe somewhere on the internet and almost licked my computer screen. They looked so good. The colors are so vibrant and fresh- how could you not want that in your belly? Well, unless your like my David who doesn’t even recognize the term “veggie burger”.
I love me a good veggie burger though. You probably don’t remember back to last year, but I shared a recipe for veggie burgers then too. That recipe was much more complicated, ingredient list wise. Not nearly as accessible as this golden patty : )
These have a sweet-spicy kind of thing going on too. The chipotle powder and cayenne gives your mouth a good few kicks. More than mine could really handle to be honest haha
And don’t forget the super charge of nutrients they offer! Sweet potatoes. Quinoa. Oats. Red onion. Black beans. Holy fiber!
Just to cover my bases I want to mention that these would NOT grill well. They are far too moist to withstand the grates of a grill. They would plumet to their death for sure.
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked hot paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 small red onion, cut into large chunks
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- canola oil
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns
- burger fixings (avocado/guacamole, tomato/pico de gallo, lettuce, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, pickles, cheese, mayonnaise)
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes down the center lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 30 to 40 minutes or longer. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin. Set aside to cool completely.
- Cook the Quinoa: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and all the water has absorbed, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Use a food processor to grind the oats until the flakes are broken up, but not as fine as flour. Place in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder/smoked hot paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix to combine.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the red onion, cilantro, and garlic clove; pulse 10-12 times or until everything is finely minced. Add to oat-spice mixture.
- Mix the burgers: Combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa with oat-spice mixture. Use a potato masher, large mixing spoon, or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really well. Add the black beans and stir to evenly distribute.
- Cover and refrigerate the mixture for best results (the patties will hold together better during cooking if they are chilled first).
- Use a measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the mixture. Gently shape it into a patty about 3½ inches in diameter. Repeat the process for each patty; you should end up with about 8.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry.