Okay, I am going to confess something that many people find strange. I don’t like hamburger. Well, that’s not 100% true. I love hamburgers cooked on a grill but otherwise, not so much.
We ate a fair amount of ground beef growing up because:
1) Everyone loved it, but me.
2) It’s cheap.
I used to hide bits and pieces of hamburger underneath my plate. Or innocently drop a few chunks on the floor. And when all else failed, I hid it in my pockets, much to my Mom’s delight on laundry day.
Now on the other hand, I like turkey burgers. What’s the difference? I honestly don’t know. But I use hamburger very sparingly in recipes because sometimes I’m okay with it and other times I’m not.
Obviously, I’m just weird. 🙂
So given all that, you would assume that I’m a big fan of veggie burgers. I don’t mind them, but I can’t say I love them. Too often they want to imitate “real” hamburger, which I would prefer they didn’t mimic! LOL!
I never tried making a homemade version but now that I’m eating healthier, it seemed like the right time to find a good recipe. And oh boy, did I! This version is a mixture of sweet potato, beans, spices and a few other veggies. It is delicious!
Even better, it makes about 8 big burgers that freeze beautifully. It’s so nice on a hectic day to grab a veggie burger out of the freezer, bake it and lunch is served. These are very filling and satisfying, so good that even carnivores will enjoy them.
Okay, maybe my Dad might give my Mom side-eye if she tried to replace his beloved hamburger with a veggie burger.
Oh wait. She already switched to turkey burgers. Soon it will be veggie burgers! 🙂
Sweet Potato Chickpea Veggie Burger
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato cooked (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- green bell pepper diced
- 1 medium jalapeno finely minced
- 1 cup red onion diced
- 1 cup white onion finely diced
- 3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 1-2 eggs
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oill
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a big bowl, combine beans and sweet potato. Use a potato masher to partially mash the beans. You still want the beans chunky to give the burgers texture, so it doesn’t need to be smooth.
- In a medium skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper and jalapeño until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute until veggies are tender. Set aside.
- Add 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups of oats and spices to bean mixture. Add in veggies and combine well. If it’s seems too dry, add the other egg. Too moist, add another 1/2 cup of oats.
- Split the mixture into 8 patties. Press firmly to form patties. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In the same skillet you cooked the veggies, heat 1 Tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add patties (you may need to do two separate batches) and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until a nice golden crust forms.
- Serve on a bun with lettuce, tomato and red onion slices or over a plate of lettuce with your favorite veggies and dressing.
Notes
Enjoy!
Tanya