In my opinion nothing beats a great burger. It’s a fantastic all american food found at family BBQ’s and popular diners across the country. A burger, shake and fries, does it get more classic than that?
When it comes to a great burger there is one problem that I have come across over the past years.. the meat. As it has become overwhelming evident that the agriculture practices in our country are less than ideal, more americans like myself are becoming more skeptical about the sourcing of the meat we consume. Part of living the sustainable lifestyle I promote is finding good sources for all of our foods, especially beef. For my family I choose to purchase grass fed and local beef from small farms in my area but when that is not available or you simple don’t eat meat, these sweet potato and black bean burgers are a great alternative.
Not only are these burgers packed full of nutrition, a single batch of these bad boys is enough to feed the entire family twice and they are delicious. So whether you are searching for a meat alternative or just venturing outside the typical burger box, give these a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
WHY you should give it a try:
Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes contain an extremely high amount of vitamin A, beta-carotene which is a great antioxidant and also helps with reducing inflammation.
- They are also rich in vitamin B and C, both of which are excellent immune system boosters that can defend your body from a wide variety of conditions and afflictions.
- The high amount of soluble fiber and protein keeps digestion moving at a steady rate which keeps the colon healthy, keeps you fuller for longer and regulates blood sugar to prevent spikes and crashes and has been proven to lower cholesterol.
Black Beans
- The black color of the seed coat is produced by 8 kinds of flavonoids that act as antioxidants in the body to fight disease and free radicals which can help reduce your risk of cancer.
- The high amount of soluble fiber and protein keeps digestion moving at a steady rate which keeps the colon healthy, keeps you fuller for longer and regulates blood sugar to prevent spikes and crashes and has been proven to lower cholesterol.
- High amounts of folate are great for prenatal health.
WHERE to get the goods:
- For the beans: buying in bulk and soaking yourself is the most cost effective means but if you prefer to buy the can, look for an organic bean that comes in a can with BPA free lining.
- Sweet potatoes can be found at any market. They are in season in the late summer and fall which makes this a great recipe to try when the seasons are changing. (Makes a great game day meal!)
HOW to enjoy it:
- Due to the large amount of burgers this recipe makes, this is a great batch cooking food.
- It’s fantastic for lunches and dinners. It can be eaten on bun, in a salad, topped with coleslaw, in a pita wrap… the list goes on and on.
- Personally, I enjoy these topped with bbq sauce and my simple cole slaw– YUM!
Thanks for stopping by!
Em
- 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
- 1 15ox can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup regular oats
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Hamburger buns
- Favorite burger fixin’s
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place on the sheet cut side down.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Once they are cool to the touch, remove the skin and roughly chop the potatoes, set aside to cool.
- Using a food processor, pulse the oats until they are broken down and flaky, but not as fine as flour. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the food processor again, pulse the onion and parsley until they are finely chopped.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (sweet potatoes, black beans, oats, onion, parsley, cumin, paprika, garlic, mustard, salt and Worcestershire) until well incorporated.
- Make the patties: take 1/2-3/4 cup of the mixture and shape it into a patty about 3.5 inches in diameter. Repeat until all of the mixture has been “patty-fied”.
- Pan fry the burgers in 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan for each batch of burgers you cook and repeat until all patties have been cooked.
- Top with you favorite fixin’s and enjoy!
