Sweet potato burgers

Sweet potato burgers are light, fluffy veggie burgers made entirely from plant based ingredients and are quick and easy to make.

Similar to spicy bean burgers , veggie chilli and falafel these vegetarian burgers are prepared using low cost ingredients so will be kind to your budget.

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or simply looking for new meat free meal ideas they are definitely worth a try!

They are perfect served for a vegetarian lunch or dinner either in a burger bun, or with rice, salad or flatbread.

The quantities in this easy burger recipe are sufficient to make six burgers which equate to three average or two generous servings.

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato - select a sweet potato which weighs around 450g to 500g (15.9 oz to 17.6 oz).

• Cooked chick peas - either canned or from a jar. Drain, rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper before adding to the other ingredients. If you don't have chick peas you can substitute cooked beans such as cannellini beans or white kidney beans.

• Onion - use either a brown or red onion.

• Garlic - use fresh garlic.

• Paprika - use either smoked paprika or unsmoked paprika.

• Oregano - you can use either dried oregano or fresh oregano.

• Baking powder - this helps to create light fluffy burgers.

• Plain flour - aka all purpose flour to help bind the ingredients together. You will also need a little extra flour for shaping the burgers

• Seasoning - add salt and pepper to suit your taste.

• Cooking oil - cook your homemade burgers in a dash of cooking oil.

How to prepare sweet potato burgers

Stab the sweet potato and cook in a microwave until it is soft.

While the sweet potato is cooking, roughly chop the onion and garlic cloves, place in the food processor and blitz for a few seconds. If you don't have a food processor the onion and garlic can be finely chopped by hand, it will just take a little longer.

Rinse and drain the cooked chick peas and pat dry with kitchen paper. Add the chick peas to the onion and garlic and chop. If you don't have a food processor you can mash the chick peas with a fork or a potato masher before mixing with the onion and garlic.

When the sweet potato is cooked, cut open and mash the inside with a fork. Discard the skin.

Transfer the chopped chick peas, onion and garlic to a large bowl, add the cooked sweet potato (not the skin) and mix together.

Add the paprika, oregano, flour, baking powder and a little salt and pepper and mix well. You can adjust the amount of seasoning to suit your taste.

Use your hands to form the mixture into six patties. I find that it helps to add a little extra flour so they are less sticky.

The burgers can be cooked straight away or they can be put aside until you are ready to cook them. They can also be stored in the fridge or can be frozen.

Cook the sweet potato burgers in a little hot olive oil for a few minutes on either side. Take care when turning the burgers over as they will be quite soft. Alternatively they can be brushed with oil and baked in the oven.

How to serve

• Serve in a burger bun packed with salad garnish and your favourite salsa.
• You could serve your homemade burgers with flatbread, rice and fresh veggies.
• Or you could serve them alongside a portion of sweet potato fries.

How to store

• Cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• They can also be frozen. Defrost at room temperature before cooking.

Tips

1. If you don't have a food processor the onion and garlic can be chopped by hand and the chick peas can be mashed using a fork or potato masher.
2. Dried chick peas could be used but they would need to be soaked and cooked first.
3. Sweet potato burgers which have been stored in the fridge or frozen may become soft. Reform and add a little extra flour if needed.
4. Adjust the amount of paprika and oregano to suit your taste.
5. If the burgers lose their shape slightly while they are being cooked they can easily be reformed with a knife.

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