Sweet potato, cavolo nero and black bean vegan burgers

This is a great recipe for plant-based burgers, easy to make and incredibly tasty! Homemade vegan burgers are cheaper and more nutrient dense than shop-bought ones, and also easier to customise accordingly to your taste.

Most pre-packaged plant-based burgers are soy-based, ultra-processed and retain little to no nutritional value. Some of the most well know vegan soy-based burgers makes can have more saturated fats than an average beef burger – definitely not a healthy choice if trying to support our cardiovascular health!

In this recipe, I use sweet potatoes, which are a source of beta carotene, an antioxidant precursor of vitamin A and a source of slow-realising energy carbs. 

Sweet potatoes are also a source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, Vitamin B6, B5 and E. Cavolo nero (you can also use kale) and beans are rich in fibre, minerals and antioxidants. 

Beans are a great ingredient to add to all your dishes – rich in fibre, folate, iron and magnesium. Beans have also a low glycaemic load, making them ideal if you are trying to manage diabetes, PCOS or energy dips. Interestingly, when boiled black beans have a lower glycaemic index than ones in a tin or pressure cooked. Soaking beans overnight before cooking or washing them thoroughly if tinned will help to reduce bloating.

To maximise iron absorption from vegetable sources, it is better to match those with vitamin C. Serve these burgers with a side of green salad and you will have plenty of vitamin C.

Fibre and oats are prebiotic, meaning they can feed the “good” bacteria in the gut. A healthy gut microbiome is associated with general health positive outcomes, from improved immunity to better digestion and lower inflammation.

The ingredients of these burgers are currently in season, meaning they will have the greatest nutritional value and will have a lower impact on the environment as they can be local and not shipped from overseas.

These burgers will leave you nourished, full for longer and provide all needed macros: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato cut into cubes
• ½ tin rinsed black beans
• 1 cup chopped cavolo nero (or kale)
• ½ cup raw oats
• ½ small white onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp flaxseeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt

Method

Gently steam the sweet potatoes (around 10 minutes if using a steamer, less if using a pressure cooker) until tender, transfer them to a bowl and mash. Avoid boiling them, as they would retain too much water leading the burgers to be soggy.

In a food processor blend all the other ingredients at low speed, aiming to obtain a crumb-like consistency. Avoid over-mixing, as it would impact the texture of the burgers and they won’t hold any shape.

Mix the sweet potato mash (which by now should be cooler) with the blended mix. Create four thin patties.

Bakes those patties for 30 minutes in a preheated gas mark 4 oven, flipping them halfway through.

Serve your burgers with a side salad and enjoy!