Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers are no longer the unpalatable frozen patties of the past. Today, recipes abound with veggie burgers full of all kinds of good ingredients. They’re flavorful, good for you and some versions will even hold up on the grill. I’ve been experimenting with different versions of veggie burgers for a while now and I’ve finally settled on a recipe that I think is worthy of throwing my hat into the ring.
Getting as much good stuff into a recipe is one of the things that I consider a personal challenge. Yes, it’s very nice that it doesn’t contain any animal products, but neither do potato chips and while I totally dig them, they’re not a nutritional gold mine. These burgers are. If you’re going to go to the effort of making a veggie burger (or any food for that matter), I think it’s important to make sure it tastes good but also that it’s got a lot of bang for your buck nutritionally. In particular, this recipe includes quinoa, black beans, walnuts and sweet potatoes.
It’s also got a nice thick, solid consistency. Not so much to make it a gut bomb, but enough that you can put these patties on the grill and they will hold up nicely. In some circles that is a measure marking a good burger so I like to point that out, but I prefer to quickly pan fry them for 1-2 minutes on a side to give them a nice crust before plating them.
Condiments are also important. In this case, I did a southwestern style. As you’ll see the recipe includes chili powder and cumin, so in keeping with that theme, I added sliced avocado and a vegan chipotle mayo. Rest assured though, I will be taking this same recipe to new heights with different themes — everything from the All-American (I bet you’re wondering how I am going to do vegan bacon, aren’t you?) to the spicy Asian-inspired veggie burger so stay tuned!
Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger
Unpalatable frozen veggie burgers are in the past. Today's veggie burgers boast a long list of tasty, good for you ingredients like this southwestern themed black bean, quinoa and sweet potato veggie burger.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, baked
- 1 c. cooked quinoa
- 28 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 c. toasted walnuts
- 1 sm. onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 T. cumin
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 T. sweet paprika
- 1/2 c. vegan panko breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lettuce, tomato and avocado, as garnishment
- 1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
- 2 t. chipotle paste
Directions
- Step 1 Wash and bake the sweet potato at 400 degrees F. for about 1 hour. While the potato is baking, toast the walnuts until fragrant and lightly browned and cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
- Step 2 Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Step 3 After the walnuts have cooled, finely chop them using a hand chopper or a food processor.
- Step 4 In a large bowl, scoop the potato from the skin and combine it with the cooked quinoa, black beans, finely chopped walnuts, onion and garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, bread crumbs and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Step 5 Pat the mixture into burgers.
- Step 6 If grilling, brush each burger with a light coating of avocado (or other high heat point oil) and place on medium heat grill, flipping after 2-3 minutes. If pan frying, heat a small amount of high heat point oil in a skillet (approximately 1 T.) and cook each burger for 2-3 minutes per side on medium heat.
- Step 7 Mix the vegan mayonnaise with the chipotle paste. Slice the tomato and avocado.
- Step 8 Plate your burgers and enjoy!
What’s in my kitchen that makes this recipe even easier?
I say it all the time, but I’ll say it again — Olo’s Chipotle Paste. If you’re into chipotle spice, this is a must have in your kitchen. So much simpler than opening a can of chipotle peppers, using one and then wondering what to do with the rest. And a really good hand chopper, like this Cuisinart. Mine is an older model, but for this recipe alone you’ll need to chop onions, mince garlic and chop walnuts. This will make the job so much easier and save your fingertips from sharp knives!
Did you make this veggie burger? We’d love to know what you think? Did you change anything? Tell us about it.
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