Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers

Dec 15, 2020 | vegan

Inspired by my Black Bean Burger success, I found a recipe from Minimalist Baker for Curried Spiced Quinoa Chickpea Burgers and created my own version that has slightly less ingredients and still packed with flavour.

Sweet Potatoes, quinoa, and chickpeas are all a great source of fiber and this combination also has vitamins, minerals, and protein.

What’s great about this recipe is that you can really play around with the spices – from adding more / less curry powder or a bit of harissa spice for an extra kick.

When I make them, I don’t add the extra harissa spice and cilantro because I find the curry powder gives it enough taste that you don’t need to add more.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers

Level

Med

Prep Time

40 Min

Cook Time

15 Min

Serves

6-8

Ingredients

  •  cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas* (rinsed, drained, and dried)
  • 2 Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (plus more for cooking burgers*)
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1 1/2 cups small diced and peeled sweet potatoes or yellow potatoes
  • 3-4 tbsp water
  • 2/3 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger (skin removed)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small serrano pepper, deseeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 tsp harissa spice (optional as it has a good kick)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Step 2

Prep the Quinoa:

Prepare the quinoa and set aside once done to cool (or make the day before).

Step 3

Prep the Chickpeas:

Once the quinoa is being prepared, place the chickpeas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with 1 tbsp. oil, pinch of salt, and 1 tsp. of curry powder. Bake for 20 minutes or until chickpeas appear cracked and feel dry to the touch. Remove chickpeas from the oven and set aside to cool.

Step 4

Prep the Sweet Potatoes:

While the chickpeas are in the oven, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium pan and, once hot, add diced potatoes (smaller / bite size). Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Decrease heat to medium low, add water, and cover again. Cook potatoes until browned on the edges and tender. Place potatoes in a bowl where you can mash with a fork or potato masher until nearly creamy with as few chunks as possible).

Step 5

Put it all together!

  • Add cooked chickpeas and quinoa to a food processor along with cashews, ginger, garlic, salt, and optional: serrano pepper, harissa spice, and cilantro. Blend into a semi-loose dough (do not want it to be a purée). Taste and adjust flavour as needed (e.g. add curry powder, salt for saltiness, or harissa for more spice).
  • Transfer to bowl with mashed potatoes. Stir to combine.
  • Create burgers using spoon or ice cream scoop depending on size you want to make them. Keep burgers about 3/4-inch in height.
  • Heat oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bottom side is golden brown.