Sweet Potato & Chickpea Veggie Burgers

These burgers are my personal favorite of the whole bunch, but I don’t make them as much as the others just because it’s a wee bit more labor intensive thanks to roasting the sweet potatoes. These babies are spiced with cumin and curry and have a great underlying sweetness.

Favorite toppings: coleslaw (doooo itttt!) and sliced red onions

 
Sweet Potato & Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Roasted Sweet Potato & Chickpea Burgers

Yield: 6 burgers
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

These burgers are a bit more time intensive, but they are worth it! These babies are packed full of rich, warming flavor and have a beautiful, bright orange color.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (about 2 14-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs (see notes for plant-based substitute)
  • 1 to 2 cups breadcrumbs, divided (see notes for gluten-free alternative)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the sweet potato, onion, and garlic. Drizzle on the oil. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and beginning to brown.
  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Line an additional baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
  4. In the basin of a food processor, combine the roasted sweet potato mixture, the chickpeas, cumin, curry powder, and salt. Pulse until the mixture forms a smooth, thick paste—scraping the sides as necessary. Don't have a food processor? Check the recipe notes for an alternative method. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  5. Add in the eggs and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, mix well. Continue adding breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture can easily be formed into patties.
  6. Form the mixture into six large patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the burgers begin to brown, feel firm, and start to crack on top. Serve immediately or freeze.
  7. To freeze, let burgers cool completely, then freeze flat on a baking sheet until solid, about 3 hours. Transfer to a labeled zip-top freezer bag. Will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Defrost before heating in skillet, on grill, or in the oven.

Notes

  • This recipe makes for six, large, "meaty" burgersโ€”want smaller or thinner burgers? You'll easily be able to get 8-10 burgs from each batch.
  • A food processor will result in the best burgers, but if you don't have one, try this method: use a potato masher to mash together the roasted sweet potato mixture and chickpeas until they form a fine paste. Mix together with the cumin, curry powder, and salt. Then proceed with the recipe at step five.
  • Both flax and chia eggs work in place of the eggs in this recipe. Just mix together two tablespoons of either ground flaxseed or chia seeds with six tablespoons of warm water. Let sit five minutes to thicken, then use in place of the two eggs in the recipe.
  • Panko breadcrumbs work great in this recipe, but I frequently use oat breadcrumbs, too. Just pulse old fashioned/rolled oats in the food processor until the size/texture of breadcrumbs. Use cup-for-cup in this recipe. Make sure to use gluten-free oats if avoiding gluten.
  • Burgers too sticky to form? Lots of variables can cause burgers to be too sticky (bigger eggs, juicier veggies, even higher humidity). If your burgers are too sticky, try chilling the mixture for 20-30 minutes before forming. You can also form the burgers with damp hands, or, as a last result, add more breadcrumbs (if you add too much breadcrumbs, you'll end up with dry, flavorless burgers).

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 burgers Serving Size: 1 burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 654mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 9gSugar: 8gProtein: 15g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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2 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try this! What type of onion? White or Yellow? Also, I like to pair sweet potato fries WITH my burgers normally—but I feel it may be overkill with the burger already tasting like Sweet Potato Fries. What do you think?