Cajun Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers
I say this quite a bit, but how on Earth have I gone my entire life without these burgers!?
This cajun spin on my classic Sweet Potato Chickpea Burger is something you’re going to want in your life, stat. Flecked with the foodie equivalent of the holy trinity and spiced to zesty perfection, these veggie burgers are full of flavor and easily compliment a number of dietary needs.
Swap out the egg and sub in a flax or chia egg to make them vegan and for a meal that’s gloriously gluten-free, crumble them over salads, spuds, or slap them on your favorite GF bun!
Author: Jenn Laughlin
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato yielding 1 cup puree
- 2 cups chickpeas (canned or cooked from dry)
- 1 and ½ cups whole oats
- ½ cup red pepper (about ¼ the pepper)
- ½ cup diced onion (half a small onion)
- ¼ cup diced celery (approx 1 stalk)
- 2 tsp olive oil for sautéing
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 large egg or 1 flax egg
- 1 and ½ tablespoons cajun seasoning
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- salt and pepper, to taste (I used a pinch of sea salt)
- cajun chipotle aioli:
- ⅓ cup quality mayo (store bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp chipotle adobo sauce
- ¼ tsp cajun seasoning blend, or to taste
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
- a pinch of salt
- The sauce is good on *everything* :: you may just want to double it!
- extras:
- spring mix lettuce
- sliced avocado
- your favorite burger buns
Instructions
- Bake, microwave, or boil your sweet potato until tender.
- Remove/discard the skin and, using a food processor or blender, puree the sweet potato until smooth but thick.
- Scoop out the sweet potato and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Next rain and rinse your chickpeas, then add to the food processor. Pulse just a few times to break up the beans, still leaving lots of great texture. Add to the sweet potato.
- Next pulse one and a half cups of oats in your processor until flour-like (it doesn’t have to be super fine by any means; just ground) then add to the sweet potato mixture.
- Next saute your onion, bell pepper, and celery in approx 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat.
- After about 7 minutes or so, add garlic and continue to saute until the veggies are translucent and tender.
- Once your veggies are ready, transfer to the bowl with the sweet potato and add 1 egg (or flax egg) to the bowl along with cajun seasoning blend, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Stir to incorporate and divide burger mixture into 4-6 balls. I wound up making 5. The sizing seemed right for my buns.
- Cup each ball in your hands and squeeze, pressing it into a compact disc. Think of it as stress-relief!
- Form into into patties, cover, and refrigerate for approx. 30 minutes to set the burgers.
- Feel free to prep these overnight for the following day.
- Ready to eat? Pour a teeny bit of oil in a skillet, heat to high, and cook for a few minutes on each side until you’re left with a golden crust and a warm center. Cook only a few at a time, trying not to overcrowd the skillet.
- While they cook, whisk together your aioli.
- Pile a lightly toasted bun high with greens and your fresh-from-the-skillet burger, top it off with a generous helping of aioli and dig in!
3.2.2802
To freeze, simply cook the burgers as indicated above, allow to cool a bit, and then freeze (spaced) on a plate or cookie sheet. Once they’ve had a chance to partially freeze you can pile them in baggies or your favorite airtight container for fast food without the freaky ingredients.
To reheat, simply pop frozen burgers on a lined or spritzed baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400F. You can also use a toaster oven! Score!
