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Vegan Sweet Potato, Black Bean, & Quinoa Burgers
I began eating ~mostly~ vegan a few months ago, and since then have tried about every vegan burger on the market, with pretty sad results (I have yet to find a place to buy the "Beyond Meat" burger that is apparently quite good). Instead of racking the store shelves and spending money on sub-par vegan burgers, I decided to come up with my own. This recipe strikes a good balance between the meatiness of the beans, the texture of the quinoa, and the subtle sweetness from the sweet potato. I add lots of other flavors like spice from jalapenos, and smokiness from cumin. The burgers get pan-seared to get them nice and crispy, and then topped with spicy, smoky chipotle "mayo" and lots of cooling and creamy avocado.
Start by baking two medium sweet potatoes - I simply prick them with a fork all over, and bake them for about 45-55 minutes at 400 degrees. You can do this a day or two ahead of time!
Meanwhile, add a half cup of quinoa and a cup of water to a small saucepan. Bring a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and the water has evaporated. Set aside.
Saute one minced shallot or small onion, one minced jalapeno, and one minced clove of garlic in a drizzle of olive oil until tender. Set aside.
Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add the cooked veggies, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, and the cooked quinoa. Add in a cup and a half of breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of cumin, two teaspoons of kosher salt, and a half teaspoon of black pepper. Mix everything together until combined and texture is similar to play-dough - moldable, but not too sticky or wet.
Use a half-cup to scoop out even portions of the sweet potato mixture, and form them into patties the same size as whatever bun you're using.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and cook the burger for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden browned. I like to season each side with a little extra salt before cooking, to give it a nice flavorful crust.
While the burger is cooking, mix together a half cup of vegan mayo, two tablespoons of adobo (the liquid from a can of chipotle peppers), and the juice of a lime.
Serve the burgers on toasted buns topped with avocado and chipotle mayo.
Recipe:
Total time: 20 minutes ( +50 minutes inactive) | Makes: 20-25 burgers
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1 15.5 oz. can of black beans
1 shallot or small onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (or more)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Chipotle Mayo (recipe follows)
Avocado, sliced
1. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake for 45-55 minutes at 400 degrees. Set aside to cool. The potatoes can be baked up to two days in advance.
2. Add the quinoa to a saucepan with a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and the water has evaporated.
3. While the quinoa cooks, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the shallot, jalapeno, and garlic together until tender and translucent.
4. Drain and rinse a can of black beans.
5. Scoop the flesh out of the sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the quinoa, black beans, vegetables, breadcrumbs, cumin, salt, and pepper.
6. Use a half-cup scoop to make equal sized patties. Shape them into the same size as the bun you're using. You can freeze the extra patties wrapped individually and then take them out whenever you're craving one. You don't even have to defrost before cooking.
7. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat (you can use the same frying pan as you cooked the veggies in) and cook the patties until brown and crispy on each side, about 3-5 minutes.
8. Serve on toasted buns with the chipotle mayo and avocado slices.
*** Leftover burgers can be frozen, uncooked and reheated in a skillet to serve whenever you'd like.
Chipotle "Mayo"
1/2 cup vegan mayo
2 tablespoons adobo (from a can of chipotle peppers)
Juice of half a lime.
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl & serve.