Sweet Potato, Cauliflower and Walnut Veggie Burgers

With the warmer weather coming and BBQ season upon us, burgers will be on the menu. These gluten-free, dairy-free (they do have an egg) veggie burgers can be a delicious alternative burger to add to your offering of meat burgers or a grilled stuffed portobello mushroom burger (so good - stay tuned for a future post!) These burgers are soft so they are best made ahead of time in a pan on your stovetop, cooled, and then carefully reheated on the grill – or while other burgers are cooking on the grill, reheat these in the oven – 350 for 15 minutes. The recipe makes a lot so I make 4-6 patties to have for dinner that night, and a couple for lunches, and the rest of the mixture is saved to make mini patties (slider size – oooo… these would make great sliders!) later in the week as a veggie side to another meal.

Sweet potato is a regulator of blood sugar and helps with insulin resistance, the potassium in a sweet potato is good for heart health, the beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant and good for eye health with the Vit A it contains. Sweet potatoes contain high concentrations of choline which reduces inflammation in the body.

Cauliflower is a source of VitC and folate, low in natural sodium and carbs – yet it makes a great alternate to rice when grated! Folate has been shown to help with mental fatigue and irritability, and even depression, as it is quickly broken down to supply the body with energy.

Walnuts are good for brain health as they are a rich source of polyunsaturated fats and have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. They are also a source of protein and are an antioxidant.

Make a batch of this veggie burger mixture – so full of nutritious goodness – and enjoy with your favourite toppings – cashew cream, or mayo, with a generous shot of hot sauce is a favourite for us, as is avocado, tomato and lettuce!

As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Veggie Burger goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes / Cook time: 20 minutes / Makes 6 Dinner Sized Burgers and ~10 small patties (slider size) as a veggie side dish for another night

Note: I forgot to include the egg in the ingredients photo – oops!

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced

• 3 Cups Cauliflower, chopped (about a half of a large head)

• 1/2 Cup Walnuts

• 1/4 Cup Hemp Hearts

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• ½ teaspoon Paprika

• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

• ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder

• 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon Herbamare or Sea Salt (Herbamare, available at Costco, health food stores and many grocery stores)

• A Few Grinds Fresh Black Pepper

• 1 Large Egg

• ¼ Cup Oat Flour (grind oats in your food processor until fine)

• 1 Cup Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs

• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

How It’s Made

• Put the diced sweet potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until a fork pokes easily into the potato – about 10-12 minutes. Drain well.

• While the sweet potatoes are cooking, put the chopped cauliflower and walnuts in the food processor and whirl until smooth.

• Add the garlic and hemp hearts and whirl until incorporated.

• Add the spices and egg, whirl.

• Add in the well-drained sweet potato and whirl again until the mixture is smooth.

• Transfer the mixture in a bowl, add the oat flour and the bread crumbs and mix to incorporate.

• With clean hands, form the mixture into even-sized round patties. Press them as tightly packed as you can.

• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the patties. Cook until they are golden brown on the one side, then carefully flip them to cook until golden brown on the other side – 6-8 minutes per side (or longer depending on your stovetop temperature and pan).

• Grab your bun and build your burger and add the toppings, or serve the burger bunless using a large lettuce leaf to wrap the burger and toppings in!

Enjoy!