Have you ever heard of Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers? When I first started making veggie burgers at home, it seemed I was trying to replicate what I typically found at the store. You know, the frozen disk type? And those are fine for convenience sake. But I found that if I spend a little time in the kitchen, I could freeze whatever we didn’t need for the evening and have homemade burgers, from the freezer, at our convenience. Homemade!
I’ve also found that veggie burgers can be made from many different whole foods. When you make them at home, you can get creative, and know exactly what is going into your food!
This particular recipe uses sweet potatoes as its base, but also incorporates lentils and quinoa which helps bind all the ingredients together. Kale adds texture and bulk while the feta gives the burger an added creamy demention. The panko bread crumbs encrust the burger to give it a nice, crisp texture.
What I love most about this burger, besides that it makes a lot of burgers and I can freeze so many of them for future use, is that it is packed with delicious, wholesome, good-for-you foods.
The sweet potato offers loads of vitamin A and beta carotene, while the lentils and the quinoa give you a bit of fiber and protein. And the kale… oh the kale. What can I say? Kale snuck into this burger because I love it so much! This super food is protective against cancer, aids in the body’s detox system and is anti-inflammatory. Kale Yeah!
I am a fan of spicy food so when the option of using either smoked paprika or hot smoked paprika presented itself, you know I chose hot smoked paprika. But either will do because really, you’re going for that smoky flavor that blends right in with the sweet potato to yield a smoky sweetness that is irresistible.
Before you cook these burgers, pull any extra you may want to freeze for future use. The patties freeze quite well and just require thawing in the fridge before cooking.
There are more ways than one to enjoy the sweet potato patty. They can easily be enjoyed without the bun and can be modified by making the patties smaller and served as an appetizer or in a pita or gyro. I like to serve these with a lemon garlic mayo (recipe below) but I find that spicy mustard is a delicious addition as well.
The texture is creamy yet the quinoa, and panko give it a bit of crunch. They are not as firm as what you would typically buy in the store and you’ll get a bit of squeeze-out when you cut it, but they hold up well enough to support all the condiments that your burger can hold. So pile em on!
Sweet Potato Veggie Burger
Ingredients
For the Burger:
- 1/3 C Quinoa Rinsed Red or White
- 1/3 C Red Lentils
- 1 1/3 C Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 lb medium Sweet Potatoes about 1 1/2
- 2 1/4 Cup Lacinato Kale deveined and chopped (about 12 leaves), AKA dinosaur kale
- 1/2 C Feta crumbled
- 1/4 C Minced Chives
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika hot or regular
- 1 C Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/4 C Coconut Oil for pan frying
For the Mayo:
- 1 C Mayo Organic
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 4 Cloves Large of Garlic minced
- 2 Pinches of Salt
Instructions
For the Burgers:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place quinoa, lentils, water and salt into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid and allow excess water to steam off. Set aside.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a parchment lined pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. You want them soft when you give em' a squeeze.
- Meanwhile crumble the feta, mince the chives, devein the kale, and scale out all other ingredients.
- When the potatoes are finished cooking, cut open and allow to cool. Once cool, deskin the potato, place in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add the kale and mash some more (this helps break down the cell walls of the kale). When the potato and kale are incorporated, add the quinoa and lentil mixture and minced garlic, lemon, paprika, feta, chives, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Place the panko bread crumbs in a small bowl.
- Use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop out a portion of the sweet potato mixture, packing it in. Tap the scoop, face down on the side of the bowl with you hand underneath to catch the portion. Reshape as needed and place the portion on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Repeat this 9 more times until all of the patties have been formed.
- Place each portion in the panko bread crumbs, turning and covering all surfaces as needed. Place back on the sheet pan. The patties are quite delicate, but reshape easily. Just pat them back into shape. Repeat until all patties are covered in bread crumbs. Using the flat, solid side of a measuring cup, press each patty to gently flatten it. Reshape as needed.
- Place in refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking. If you want to freeze some, place the number of desired frozen patties on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in freezer. Freeze for an hour, remove and store in a freezer zip lock bag.
- Preheat oven to 200F. To cook the patties, place 3 Tbs coconut oil in non stick frying pan. Heat oil on med-high until it shimmers. Place 3-4 patties in the pan, without crowding them and cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Place on a paper towel to catch any excess oil. Then place in a 200F oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
For the Mayo:
- Combine all the ingredients and whisk well. Serve cold with or without the bun.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Adapted from The New York Times
I love me a proper veggie burger, and this looks fantastic! I love all the components, they make it look even more fancy, and packed full of goodness :D Yum! x
Thank you, Jules! It’s incredible what can be packed into a veggie burger! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This is such a good idea – I love veggie burgers, so I think that freezing a bunch of homemade patties is the way to go!
Hi Shikha! It’s so great to know there’s something homemade, wholesome, delicious and almost ready hanging out in the freezer when you need something quick for dinner! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’m a sucker for a good Sweet Potato Burger. Pinned on my Best Vegetarian Sandwiches Board!
Hi Marly! Thank you for your pin! You’re going to love these!
Oh my word, I cannot handle this- so delicious! The colors are so vibrant and that stacked burger is making my mouth water (and I literally just ate lunch). Sweet potato is such a great starch for this- yummy, sweet, and so nutritious! This is truly junk food turned into super food :)
Hi Medha!
You made me smile, BIG! It IS mouthwatering, huh? Sweet potatoes are magical and so versatile. Mouthwatering indeed! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Love the looks of this burger! I am GF so would naturally use gluten-free burger buns. But instead of panko bread crumbs on the outside , what would you suggest I use?
Hi Paula Jo!
I haven’t tested this recipe with anything but panko so it’s hard to say what alternative would work. But, if I did change it up to be GF, I would give my GF bread a whirl in the food processor, then use those in the place of panko. I am thinking this would work well. Please let us know if this works for you! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
You might want to try pulsing gluten-free pretzels in a food processor and using that instead of the panko. I haven’t tried it yet, but someone had suggested it to me. Worth a shot!
Thanks for your suggestion, Ali!
I have been searching high and low for the perfect veggie burger! I love all of the ingredients in these!!! Gorgeous photos too. I actually have all of the ingredients in my house right now. Kale and sweet potatoes together are my “go-to” for veggie pairings and creating a burger with them is just INCREDIBLE. I can never find that beautiful lacinato kale at my grocery store, but I’m hoping it is going to start appearing at the farmer’s markets soon. Panko on the outside is so smart to get them crispy. I haven’t even had breakfast yet but I am craving this baby!!! And mayo on a burger. You are speaking my language -I always need something creamy with my veggie burgers. I am pinning this immediately! DROOL-WORTHY.
Oh, and I’m addicted to smoked paprika. It makes vegetables, beans, and grains “sing.” I have been putting it in/on everything lately. Pretty sure you created this recipe just for my tastebuds, so thank you, Traci!!! ;)
Allison,
You crack me up! I can see a veggie burger in your future, for sure! This recipe has inspired me to even get more creative with veggie burgers. The possibilities are endless! And the best part about this recipe are the delicious, exciting ingredients! The lacinato kale is needing a bit of thinning in the garden, so it’s coming along. I’ve just started seeing it at the farmers market too… so perhaps it will show up in your area soon! I hope so! Can’t wait to see what you’ll create with it!
Traci, these look great! I’m always looking for a good veggie burger – especially one without eggs. I have two sweet potatoes sitting in my kitchen and I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with them – and now I know!
Hi Geraldine,
YaY for sweet potatoes! I hope you enjoy the recipe!