Smoky Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

Have you ever heard the term “junk food vegetarian”? When I first began avoiding meat as a college freshman I was exactly that. I wasn’t very keen on vegetables and a main staple of my diet were frozen foods like burritos, pizza and veggie burgers.

I remember the first time I had a freshly made veggie burger. It was at Cafe Blossom and I was completely blown away by how uniquely flavorful and tasty it was without trying to imitate the taste or texture of meat, like many frozen veggie burgers.  Flash forward about seven years years and today very I’m excited to share my recipe for Smoky Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers.

My favorite thing about these burgers is that once you bake them you can store them in the freezer for a few months. As an alternative to processed store-bought veggie burgers, try making a double batch to freeze.

Smoky Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

makes 8 burgers

What you’ll need:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 tbs coconut oil, softened
• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2.5 cups cooked black beans
• 1 tbs ground flax seeds
• 1 tbs liquid smoke
• 1 tbs tamari
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Coat sweet potato pieces in coconut oil. Spread out on baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
2. Prepare quinoa by bringing vegetable broth to a boil. Add quinoa simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit covered, for at least 5 minutes.
3. Prepare flax “egg” by combining ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Mix then let sit for at least 10 minutes before adding to mixture.
4. Turn oven down to 350°. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to blend everything together. I like to blend until everything is about 50% blended, so there still some texture.
5. Grease a baking sheet. Form mixture into patties with your hand and spread out on baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes (flip half way) until edges are slightly browned and crispy. Enjoy right away, refrigerate or store for later!

Below is my favorite way to enjoy these burgers. This warm veggie burger salad starts with a bed of steamed kale and avocado with tamari and nutritional yeast. Then I topped it with sautéed onion, garlic and tempeh. Yum!