Summer means BBQ season! I have been experimenting with recipes and these are my two faves so far. The sweet potato recipe is easiest if you use leftover potatoes. They are a little sweet, a little spicy and loaded with texture. I fed them to a friend and he loved them!
The chickpea and black bean burgers are easier to make without planning ahead because you can just use a good quality canned bean (I like Yves or Eden Organics because the cans are PBA free).
With either recipe you can get creative with toppings like a fermented sauerkraut, cheese or cashew cheese, caramelized onions, and any veggies you like!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers:
- 1.5 cups of baked and mashed sweet potato
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice
- 1 can (398 ml) of cooked and salted black beans
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup minced, fresh cilantro
- ½ cup minced green onion
- 1/8 tsp chilli powder
- ¼ tsp chipotle powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 egg
Preparation (doing this the day before helps with time management):
- Bake sweet potatoes: cut them in half, rub open faces with coconut oil. Place face down on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes. 1.5 cups will be about 2 medium sweet potatoes.
- While potatoes are baking, make the brown rice according to the instructions on its packaging. This normally takes about 30 minutes.
Burgers:
- Rinse the black beans.
- In a large bowl:
- Add in black beans and crush them a bit with a fork
- Mix in sweet potato, brown rice, chopped walnuts, cilantro, green onion, and spices. Mix it all together.
- Whisk egg in a separate bowl and mix in with the other ingredients.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment and spread on a thin layer of coconut oil.
- Form the burgers on the baking sheet. They will be fairly soft, but easy to form. Makes 6-8 burgers depending on size.
- Bake at 375F for 20 minutes on each side (flip after 20 mins). Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Chickpea and Black Bean Burgers:
- 1 can (398 ml) of cooked and salted black beans
- 1 can (398 ml) of cooked and salted chickpeas
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup minced, fresh curly parsley
- ¼ cup minced sun dried tomatoes
- ½ cup minced green onion
- 1/8 tsp chilli powder
- 1/8 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- Rinse the black beans and chickpeas.
- Mix them together in a bowl and set 1 cup of them aside.
- Put the rest of the black beans and chickpeas, and walnuts into a food processor.
- Blend until it is pasty enough that you could form the mixture, but it is fine if it is a bit chunky too (does not need to be perfectly smooth).
In a large bowl:
- Add in the 1 cup of beans that was set aside.
- Crush a little with a fork, then mix in the mixture from the food processor.
- Add in the parsley, onion, sun dried tomatoes and spices.
- Mix it all together.
- Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and mix in with the other ingredients.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment and spread on a thin layer of coconut oil.
- Form the burgers on the baking sheet. Makes 6-8 burgers depending on size.
- Bake at 375F for 15 minutes on each side (flip after 15 mins). Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipes by Lauren Duffell, Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Lauren is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who is passionate about using nutrition to support busy lifestyles and reduce stress. Lauren’s special interests include cardiovascular health, the microbiome, inflammation reduction, blood sugar support, anxiety and nervous system support.