Chipotle Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers with Crunchy Guacamole

There is nothing quite like these savory, sweet, spicy, and crunchy quinoa sweet potato burgers! They are packed with flavor and amazing nutrients - and not to mention, gorgeous looking! I was so excited to try to come up with a recipe for these, and it has finally arrived. The best aspect of vegan burgers is the level of creativity you can have with them, as well as their potential for incredible nutritional value. There is no guilt after eating one of these babies! Just a meal packed with protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and mouth-watering-savory-sweet-crunchy bite after bite enjoyment.

Nutritional value: Sweet potatoes are packed with high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, as well as contain fiber and are a highly anti-inflamatory food. Out of all the grains, quinoa has the highest amount of protein. Quinoa is also filled with fiber, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Not to mention it is gluten free! Beans and avocado add extra fiber and protein. While avocado also adds vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and pantothenic acid. Now top it all off with iron,  vitamin K, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, zinc, copper, and manganese rich raw pepitas - and whew! - you are loaded with nutrients.

This recipe yields either 2 extra large patties, 3 medium sized patties, or 4 sliders. 

Burger Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup filtered water
1 cup cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup white beans (I used white kidneys, but any white kind will do)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (spicy or super spicy!)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic)
1 - 2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
1/2 cup panko crumbs (found at Trader Joe's)
Olive oil for cooking
2 sprouted grain hamburger buns (I use Ezekiel brand, found them at Sprouts)

Crunchy Guacamole Ingredients
2 avocados
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
2 tablespoon raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds - I buy mine raw and sprouted in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)

Start by heating a small pot on the stove with the 2/3 cup filtered water and 1/3 cup quinoa. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let the quinoa cook for 10-15 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed), then remove from the heat and let rest for at least 5 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, peal and dice 1 medium, or 2 small, sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water on the stove for about 10 minutes, or until soft and mash-able.

Once the sweet potatoes and quinoa are done cooking, combine the sweet potatoes and white beans in a mixing bowl and smash with a potato masher until well mashed but still retaining a little texture from the beans. Now add in the tahini (if using) and the spices. Mix well, and then add the quinoa and fold it into the mixture with a spatula. Heat a medium size pan on the stove to medium heat and drizzle with some olive oil. Form the quinoa sweet potato mixture into your desired size/amount of patties, coat them with panko crumbs, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side (or until a nice crispy golden brown outer shell is reached). While the burgers are cooking you can be assembling the crunchy guacamole by simply combining all the ingredients you see above and mashing them together (or less mashing if you like your guacamole chunky!). Now take one of those delicious sprouted grain buns and build your burger with your crispy sweet and spicy burger patty and crunchy guacamole - and enjoy ever bite :)


This recipe was featured on Healthy Vegan Fridays over at Every Day Vegan Girl! Check it out here.

Mexican Black Bean Burger

Ah yes, the most commonly made dinner in my house. The black bean burger. Specifically, the Mexican black bean burger. You cannot go wrong with these! So simple and quick to make, and exploding with flavor.

Burger Ingredients (Yields 2)
1 can organic black beans (16 oz.)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup pico de gallo (or other favorite salsa)

Drain and rinse black beans in a colander, then place in a mixing bowl. Toss beans with flour and spices. Then, with your hands (yay for getting messy!), squish and mash the beans up until about half are fully mashed, leaving some whole for texture. Add in the pico de gallo (or other salsa) and incorporate it into the bean mixture with your hands. If the mixture is too wet to form patties with, sprinkle in more whole wheat flour until desired consistency is reached.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Cook patties in the pan for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they are nice and brown and crispy.

Dress up the burger however you'd like - the most common way in my house is just topping it with some homemade guacamole (2 avocados + sea salt + pico de gallo). I'm getting hungry just writing this post.