Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers…Who Says Burger Season is Over?

I get that summer is full of barbecues and late, lingering dinners thanks to the long, light evenings.

I get that we no longer have that luxury, thanks to fall’s cooler temperatures and earlier nighttimes.

I get that burgers are typically associated with summer barbecues, and not with fall suppers.

BUT burgers are also typically associated with meat. So I figure, if you’re breaking one stereotype, why not break them all?

Welcome the perfect fall burger, crammed full with sweet potatoes and black beans.

By the way, can I take one second to complain about fall? I try not to but…it’s really hard taking decent dinner photos when it’s getting dark before dinner. I’m not prepared enough to make my meals in advance so I can photograph them in daylight. Plus, I work full-time. So…complaining over, but my apologies for the less-than-stellar pics in this post!

The recipe for these burgers was inspired by one from Kris Carr’s wonderful book Crazy Sexy Diet:

Have you read it yet? If not it tells the story of Kris’s amazing recovery from a rare and aggressive form of cancer, all thanks to her revamping her diet.

If you like cleanses, it also has a great 21-day cleanse. I highly recommend it!

I changed this burger recipe up just a little but it’s good in either version :). And it’s vegan! The patties are equally good on their own or in a burger bun, so if you’re avoiding bread, no worries.

Another big plus? These burgers freeze really well, and the recipe makes 6-8 patties. So feel free to keep some in the freezer for a quick and delicious dinner!

INGREDIENTS (makes 6-8 patties):

I also failed to take an ingredients shot for this recipe. I’m sorry! Bad blogger!

2 cups cooked black beans, mashed (You could also do 1 cup black beans and 1 cup of another bean, like cannellini beans or chickpeas)
2 cups sweet potato, cubed
2 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp yellow onion, grated
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 ½ tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp cornmeal plus another 1/4 cup for dredging
Wholewheat burger buns (optional)
Greek yogurt (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and cut sweet potatoes. Toss them with olive oil and salt. Spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Toss occasionally.

2. Heat a bit of olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook till lightly browned. Place mashed black beans (or cannellini/chickpeas etc) in bowl. Add onions to bowl of beans, and stir in tamari, cumin and salt and pepper. Add cooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, oregano, sweet potatoes and 3 tbsp cornmeal. Mix well and adjust seasonings if necessary.

3. Form into patties and dredge lightly in remaining cornmeal. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add more olive oil. Add burgers and brown lightly on each side. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Serve on warmed wholewheat burger buns, top with your preferred veggies (I used avocado, lettuce and tomato). Spread Greek yogurt on bun (if using) and serve.

Nutritional information per burger if recipe makes 8 patties: