When most people think of vegan diets, they think of strict, ultra-healthy eating. In reality, for a lot of vegans, this is not at all the case… We eat processed and junk food too!
And I realised I’ve been relying on it a little too much lately, particularly with soy burgers, which are a summer BBQ staple for me.
So instead of processed soy burgers, which despite being very convenient and not a bad substitute, I have chosen to start making my own from now on, which are not only healthier but so so so much tastier!
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These burgers are really simple – just roast sweet potato, black beans (or kidney beans) and arrowroot powder (a grain-free starch).
I love the flavour from roasting the sweet potatoes but if you want to save time on cooking, you could microwave or steam the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them.
These burgers are:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Eggless
- Soy-free
- Nut-free
- Gluten-free & grain-free (without the bun)
- Low-fat
Smoky Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers
These smoky, flavourful bean burgers are not only delicious but are also vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and low fat!
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet potato, approx 200g
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 x 400g tin black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 tbsp arrowroot powder, or tapioca flour, cornstarch etc.
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 2 gloves garlic, mined
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh chopped coriander
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve:
- Wholemeal gluten-free bun
- Lettuce, tomato, red onion etc.
- Ketchup, vegan mayonaise or barbecue sauce etc.
- Fat-free oven chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c. and line a roasting tray with greaseproof paper or spray with olive oil.
- Peel and chop the sweet potato into thin slices, dust with the smoked paprika and roast for approximately 30 minutes, until tender. Keep the oven on.
- Meanwhile, add the beans, arrowroot powder, onion, garlic, herbs and spices to a large bowl. When the sweet potato is cooked, add it to the bowl and mash everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the mixture into 4 balls and flatten into patty shapes. Place on the baking tray you used earlier to roast the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.
- Serve with a gluten-free bun and whatever toppings and sauces you desire. I love to serve mine with some homemade chips!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4Amount Per Serving Calories 155Carbohydrates 32gFiber 6gSugar 4gProtein 6g
I have just made this it was slightly sticky but I love it tasted amazing great recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Madison!
Great! I made this last night for my vegetarian husband, vegan teen and “flexitarian” teen (and me.) The initial look was odd but texture was similar to hamburger. We ate ours without a bun and topped them with cultured dill yogurt sauce and buffalo sauce. Served with a side of roasted cauliflower and broccoli and kale salad. Super good and healthy! Next time I’ll double the recipe– didn’t make quite enough for us without bread. Only change I made was cumin powder for the seeds as I didn’t have them. Thank you!
It´s so true, making these burgers homemade is so much better than the premade soy ones, plus these look and sound way better! love the combination of flavors you added to these burgers
Made these today for the second time. They are so so delicious. I didn’t have any coriander on hand so I just skip that part.
Made these today and they were lovely, thank you for the recipe. I added mashed avocado and a home made salsa to the bun too. X
Just made these and they were great! I added a some chopped spring greens (as they needed eating) and a tiny drop of almond milk to moisten it. So tasty especially with mashed avocado on the bun Thanks for the recipe! Easy to remember I’ll make them again soon.
So glad you enjoyed it, Carragh! Love the idea of using those greens too
I am in the process of making these burgers but they were far too dry to stick together as stated in the recipe. I ended up adding an egg because I’m not vegan but if you want to keep the recipe vegan then you could try nut milk, tahini or maybe puree the beans as that works in other vegetable burger recipes.
Hi Daisy – sorry for the late response. Thanks for letting me know. I haven’t made this recipe for a while but I recalled I actually had problems with the mixture being too wet, so I had to add more dry ignredients! I will make it again soon to triple check.
Hey Aimee
Can these be frozen? If so, what’s the best way of cooking them from frozen?
Hi Amy – sorry for the late reply. I would say these could freeze quite well. I would cook them in the oven, from frozen. Let me know if you try them out!
that looks amazing! Seriously yummy. i haver to admit the more vegan recipes i see, the more impressed i am , because so much of it looks so good x
Oh thank you so much, Jenny! Yes, I don’t think enough people realise how delicious vegan food can be! x
I made this recipe exactly as on the instructions and the burgers came out very mushy! I put them back in the oven and turned up the oven. Not really satisfied with the results.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that Rainey :-( They are quite soft burgers, they’re not especially chewy or firm to bite into but they should hold together and crisp up on the outside.
I just stumbled upon your blog + this recipe Aimee and I’m in love!
Well I am already in love with your beautiful blog, Sherrie! So glad you stopped by :-)
These sound so good! I love veggie burgers but haven’t found a great recipe to be honest so these just might be what I’ve been looking for : )
They’re pretty damn good if I may say so myself! Let me know if you try them :D
Aimee, that looks so good! And I love those photos! I would have to start experimenting with your recipes one day :)
Thanks Shiran!
Sweet potatoes and black beans are one of my favorite combinations! These veggie burgers look so good!
Thanks Christin! It’s one of my favourite combinations too
Love your photography of these burgers. I so feel like one now!
Thank you Thalia! I feel like another one now too…
I’m also in a place of trying to discern wholesome from indulgent. As a new vegan, it was like everything was “healthy” comparatively, but now I’m trying to really choose foods that are nourishing not just “vegan”. These look great and definitely wholesome!
Yeah, that’s the thing… everything seems so comparatively healthy but in reality, a lot of it is just (if not more) processed. Anyway, I would choose these burgers over shop-bought ones any day :-)
Sounds and looks gorgeous! I love using sweet potato to make veggie burgers :)
Thanks Nadia :-) I love using sweet potatoes to make everything!
I’ll always be a fan of any dish anchored with sweet potatoes. Making your own is always best but it can be hard with life getting in the way. Glad you shared an easy recipe!
I agree, Monica! I need to make these again soon and see how well they hold up when frozen.
Hey Aimee
Did you ever freeze them? How did they hold up?
I often have the problem of home-made bean burgers being a bit dry, does the sweet potato keep them moist? Chips look good- we’ve been eating way too many home-made chips recently, even though they’re healthier than other chips there’s still a fair bit of oil on them so I think it’s time to go fat free :)
Yep, these ones are plenty moist thanks to the sweet potato! I know what you mean about some bean burgers, they need a lot of sauce to make the texture right sometimes. And yes, if you can’t resist eating chips all the time but want to reduce the calories – you must try the fat-free chips. Life-changer!
They sound delicious, the combination of sweet potatoes and beans must be lovely.
Thanks Anca!