Vegetarian Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat whole sweet potato in olive oil (optional). Poke several holes in the sweet potato using a knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of your sweet potato.

Step 2

Remove skin from the sweet potato. Mash the inside until almost pureed. Measure out ½ cup of the mashed sweet potato. Before adding black beans, pat them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Combine the sweet potato and black beans and mash a little more. You want some whole beans to remain for texture. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced onion, diced bell pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt . Sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add jalapeño and garlic and sauté a minute more, until golden and aromatic.

Step 4

Stir the sautéed ingredients into the sweet potato mixture. Add the seasonings (cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, chipotle chili powder, parsley), whisked egg and bread crumbs. Mix until a loose ball forms.

Step 5

Form the mixture into patties. I like to make mine about the width of my palm. For best results, make sure the burger is no more than ½ inch thick when cooking. The thinner the patty, the firmer it will be.

Step 6

Heat a skillet over medium heat (I use the same skillet I sautéed the onions in for extra flavor). Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Once hot, add patties. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until browned.

Step 7

Serve on burger buns with for favorite fixings, such as lettuce or kale and barbecue sauce. Enjoy!