Sweet Potato Burgers with Green Tahini

Oh me, oh my! I’m a fool for these hearty vegan burgers. I had 1 for breakfast with sliced avocado, and 3 for dinner. Thankfully the recipe makes 12-14 burgers, because they are so good!

I’ve been making sweet potato burgers for some time, but have just now gotten around to writing down my recipe. For these burgers you’ll need a food processor to slice and dice the ingredients at each step. If you don’t have one, I’m sure you could mince and chop vegetables by hand, and mash the garbanzo beans with a fork. Keep in mind, the recipe calls for two cans of chickpeas (nearly 4 cups), so that would be a lot of fork mashing. Arm workout!

I’ve always been a burger fan. I can proudly say I have never in my life eaten a classic red meat burger (phew!), but I did grow up loving Nana’s turkey burgers. I thought salmon burgers were pretty good too. My first introduction to veggie burgers was in the form of a frozen patty. At some point my mom started buying Dr. Praeger’s frozen veggie burgers at Costco. They were so good. She really doesn’t enjoy cooking, so she’d stick them in the microwave, and voila! 1 minute later you’ve got a burger! Me, I’d cook them in a skillet with a little oil to make the edges crispy. mmmmm!

I’ve since moved on from frozen burgers, and now I’d rather make my own veggie burgers from scratch. I find it to be a deeply rewarding process, and it really isn’t difficult at all (as long as you’ve got a food processor). Homemade veggie burgers are extra amazing because the combinations are endless. I love Sweet Potato Burgers, but sometimes I’m craving a Black Bean Beet Burger. Sometimes I want to use cilantro, other times parsley. Black beans one day, chickpeas the next.

I gotta tell you, my favorite way to eat a veggie burger is without bread. Bread is fine, but sometimes it dilutes the flavor of the patty. Crumbled over a salad is a fabulous way to eat a burger too. Especially these. Or, you could serve these with shredded cabbage and romaine within a mini pita, with a generous dollop of green tahini sauce (made with fresh herbs). It’s really up to you!

What’s your favorite veggie burger recipe, and how do you like to eat it?

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4.86 from 7 votes

Sweet Potato Burgers with Green Tahini

By: Jenné Claiborne

These Sweet Potato Burgers are tender, hearty, and full of flavor. Topped with herbaceous, savory green tahini sauce, they're just as good stacked on a classic burger bun as they are crumbled over a salad, tucked into pita, or piled onto a grain bowl.

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 burger patties

Ingredients 

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Sweet Potato Burgers

• ▢ 1 cup almonds
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 tbsp ground cumin
• ▢ 3 tsp ground coriander
• ▢ 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 2 14 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup packed cilantro or parsley, or a mix
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper
• ▢ 1/2 red onion
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sweet potato puree, from 1 large or 2 small baked or steamed sweet potatoes
• ▢ ¾ cup quick-cooking oats

Green Tahini Sauce

• ▢ 1/2 cup tahini
• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 cup packed fresh mint, cilantro, and parsley, (a mix) or your favorite fresh herbs
• ▢ 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions 

Sweet Potato Burgers

• Add the almonds, garlic, and spices to a food processor and blend until the almonds are a coarse crumb. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the chickpeas and herbs to the processor and blend until the chickpeas are thick and mealy, then add to the bowl. Finally, add the bell pepper and onion and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the bowl.
• Add the sweet potato puree and the oats to the bowl and stir well. Season to taste with more salt and spices.
• Refrigerate the burger mixture for at least 1 hour to firm up.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about ¾ cup of the mixture into your hands and press into a tight patty. Place on the baking sheet and repeat, leaving 2 inches between patties.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Let the patties cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before lifting them off with a spatula — they firm up as they cool.
• While the burgers bake, add the tahini, water, lemon juice, herbs, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly stream in the olive oil.
• Serve the patties with green tahini—on buns with your favorite toppings, tucked into pita, crumbled over a grain bowl, or straight off the pan.

Notes

• Freezer directions: Shape the patties and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag with parchment between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for 50-55 minutes, until firm and cooked through. Let cool on the pan for 15 minutes before moving.
• Sweet potato puree: Use homemade—roast or steam 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, then peel and mash until smooth. You'll need about 1½ cups.
• Food processor: Work from dry to wet, and you won't need to rinse the bowl between rounds. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the vegetables by hand and mash the chickpeas with a fork, but it's a workout with this quantity.
• Chilling: Don't skip it. The oats need time to absorb moisture, and a cold mixture holds together much better when you're forming the patties. You can chill the mixture overnight.
• Wet your hands if the mixture sticks, and rinse them every few patties to keep the surface smooth.
• Press firmly and compact the edges. Cup the patty in your palms and press inward around the sides—cracks around the rim are where they break apart later. Aim for even thickness, about ¾ inch, so the centers set before the edges overcook.
• Storage: Store cooled patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1pattie with a dollop of tahini sauce | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 7g | Vitamin A: 6000IU | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg

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