This Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger recipe is a delicious smoky and a little sweet meatless option. And as an added bonus, they are super easy to make.
This recipe was voted Best Unique Recipe by the staff at the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa.
When our kids were growing up, our dinners were meat-centric. Like many American family dinners, our usual suppers included a slab of steak or a couple pork tenderloins with the side dishes playing a smaller roles. But the times are changing!
I make many vegetarian dishes for my personal chef clients like cauliflower rice pilaf, my vegetable bolognese, and these tasty Mediterranean quinoa bowls. I'll be adding a few meatless meals to our weekly menu. First up is this recipe for a slightly sweet and smoky Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger.
I'm little leery of the veggie burgers available in my local grocery store's freezer section. The preformed patties with less than real looking grill marks remind me more of pressed sawdust than a burger.
My idea of a burger was a juicy beef one topped with melty cheese. I was convinced that a burger made from vegetables was not a real burger at all. But my daughter so wisely stated that it's on a bun, it's burger shaped, it's served with French fries….it's a burger. I'll buy that. And after fiddling with some bean and veggie burger recipes, I am now a veggie burger convert.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are loaded with a variety of vegetables and do not skimp on flavor. Packed with protein rich black beans, the hearty burgers have a nutritional punch from the added vegetables. The sweet potatoes are complex carbohydrates full of fiber and vitamins A and C. The mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins. And the spinach is one of the most nutrient packed vegetables and is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and E as well as iron and calcium.
The burgers take about 30 minutes to make.
- The vegetables are sautéed before they are added to the black beans. About half of the beans are kept whole while the remainder are mashed. This helps bind the burgers and gives them texture.
- After forming the burgers, a quick sauté in a hot pan adds a crispy browned crust and enhances their flavor.
- Served on whole wheat buns with a spicy yogurt sauce, thick slices of tomatoes and crisp lettuce.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers will be a welcome addition to your dinner table. I suggest making a double or even triple batch as they freeze well and will make for a quick meal on a busy weeknight.
Adding a meatless meal to your dinnertime is a healthy way to eat. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are also economical as a dinner for 4 can be made for around 5 dollars. That will help keep a little extra cash in your wallet which is a good thing.
Recipe
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and grated, about 2 cups firmly packed
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 15- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Whole wheat buns
- Sliced tomatoes
- Lettuce
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, sweet potato, garlic, scallions and salt. Sauté for 5 - 7 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to brown and the sweet potato is just cooked through. Add the spinach, cumin, and cayenne and continue sautéing the vegetables until the spinach is wilted, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat.
- In a large bowl, add the black beans and mash with a potato masher until about ½ of the beans are smashed and the remaining beans are still whole. Add the sautéed vegetables to the beans and stir to combine. Form into 4 burgers and place on a platter.
- Heat the same sauté pan to medium high heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cook the burgers for 3 - 4 minutes per side or until crispy and browned. Remove to a platter. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika for the Spicy Yogurt Sauce.
- Serve burgers on whole wheat buns with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and a dollop of the Spicy Yogurt Sauce.
Did you make the recipe? Leave a comment.