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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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Sweet Potato Burgers with Green Tahini
Ingredients
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
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.
Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick cooking if I grind them into oat flour?
Yes, you can do that! Keep a little texture in them though.
What is a good substitute for almonds? I’m allergic.
Pumpkin or sunflower seeds are great!
Oh, that makes me so crazy happy!!
I know how you feel when eating them 🙂
It was good, I added more seasonings, Thanks, I too had a salad with the burgerrs.
These are amazing! I found the prep time a bit long but so worth it. You get so many burgers out of it, lots for later. Was awesome with a fresh salad (all from our garden). I used dried chickpeas that I rehydrated for a few hours instead of canned.
Thank you Oceanna! I’m glad you enjoyed them. I love that you get so many burgers too 🙂
My boyfriend and I have just finished munching on these burgers for dinner and we absolutely love them! Great flavour!! And the dressing is a winner! I have set some aside in the freezer for another time (very soon) and once they’re gone we will definitely make more!
Thank you 🙂
Yay!!!! Wow, I bet they’d be great with those chocolate mousse tarts 🙂
Peace Jenne, our family just wanted to finally comment about these AMAZING burgers!! This is our second time making them. We love them, from our youngest daughter (21 mos.) to my 60+ yr old mom love the flavor. Thank you for your creative energy and cooking zeal! Peace “Family from Alabama”
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing Onile 🙂 Makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed them! Please tell the family I say hello!
Hi Jenne, Thanks for the recipe! I don’t own a food processor but would like to acquire one. Is there a particular one you recommend?
Hey Kim! I recommend any food processor by Cuisinart. I’ve had 3 of them. The only reason I’ve had so many is because I’ve had to upgrade in size. Now I’ve got the 12-cup. It comes with a smaller bowl for small quantity processing. The best!!
How do these freeze (before baking, of course)? Could you put it together ahead of time and save them for when you want to eat them?
They freeze and reheat very well! That’s one of my favorite things about making burgers 🙂
Those look so good! I pinned your recipe to try it later. I will substitute toasted pine nuts for the almonds due to an allergy. I can’t wait to make these for our family. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Mmmm!! Pine nuts are going to be great in these. Sunflower seeds also work really well. Thanks for pinning 🙂 Enjoy!