Black Bean, Lentil & Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers are one of my favorite meals to cook. Any time I can spend under an hour in the kitchen and get at least 5 meals from what I made, I’m elated.
Not only does this recipe turn out a lot of product but they are tasty, filling, and packed with healthy protein. That’s my kind of meal!
Black Bean, Lentil & Sweet Potato Burgers
Adapted from Veggie and the Beast
- 2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup beluga lentils, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1/2 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1/2 oat flour
- 1 egg (or mix 1/2 cup warm water 3 tablespoons ground flax for vegan version)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cooked sweet potato (small, approximately 3/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Sauce
- 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (approximately 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Place 1.5 cups of water in a pot along with the pre-soaked quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until water has completely absorbed. In a separate pot, bring 1.5 cups water to a boil along with pre-soaked beluga lentils. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
You might be wondering why I suggest soaking the quinoa and lentils. Many grains and legumes contain phytic acid which reduces the ability of our digestive system to absorb certain minerals from food. Soaking them overnight with water and a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar can help to reduce the amount of phytic acid, making it easier for our body to digest.
For example, you can soak the 1/2 cup quinoa in this recipe by placing it in 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and allow it to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Okay, enough silly talk. Let’s get to work!
Place one can of the black beans and half of the lentils in a food processor and pulse until puréed. Along with the puréed beans, place cooked quinoa, the remaining lentils and the other can of black beans into a large bowl and stir to combine.
Then add the red onion and garlic, bell pepper, and oat flour to the bowl.
Next add the seasonings: cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Lastly, add in the cooked sweet potato, hot sauce, and one egg. For the sweet potato, I microwaved a small one for about 5 minutes, allowed it to cool, and then scraped the inner portions into the bowl.
Stir everything together until well combined and refrigerate mix for about an hour. Once the mix has chilled, scoop out handfuls of the mixture and shape into 11 separate patties.
I wrapped the extra burgers in parchment paper and placed them in Tupperware before freezing them for a later date.
When you are ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 12 minutes on each side. If you decide to freeze them, they will have to be cooked for about 20 minutes on each side. They can also be cooked in a sauté pan on the stove.
To make the yogurt sauce, place cilantro into a food processer and pulse until finely chopped. Add Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil and salt and pulse to combine.
Smear a tablespoon of the yogurt sauce on the cooked burger and top with sliced avocado. Then sink your teeth into an incredibly delicious and healthy burger! YUM!
I also tried putting colby jack cheese on the burger and it was just as good!
When can we place a to go order??
Lol! I wish there was a fast food place that had good veggie burgers!
Talk about a gorgeous burger! Yours are perfectly shaped and photographed perfectly :) I tend to skip the gym when I’m not feeling 100%. Your body needs rest to recover from an illness or a lack of sleep!
Your veggie burgers look amazing! I made some yesterday and while they tasted good they didn’t quite look like a burger. Sometimes a good nights rest can make a big difference!
I took a rest day yesterday because I wasn’t feeling so hot. That and I had waaay to much to eat before gym time. Eeep.
I love the color of the photos where you’re mixing the ingredients. They look like some healthy thick burgers. I have never heard of beluga lentils. Would other lentils work here, or does it have to be the black ones?
I hate it when you eat too much and end up with cramps while working out!
This was actually my first time cooking with beluga lentils and I found them in the bulk section at Whole Foods. They are supposed to retain shape better than other lentils but I don’t think the flavor is different enough that it would matter. You could try French green lentils instead, they are similar in texture to beluga lentils. The more common brown lentils can turn out more mushy and change the texture somewhat. Hope that helps some!
These burgers sound very nutritious and delicious. I love that cilantro-lime yogurt sauce and avocado on a top.
Yum these look amazing! I usually have some kind of vegie burger/felafel broken up over my salad for lunch but they have been store bought and I really need to start looking at making my own. Glad to see these are freezer friendly as I might make a batch to keep on hand. :)
I love the addition of sweet potatoes to these burgers. They sound so tasty. Oh, and yours are so perfectly round! I wish mine would turn out that way! ;)
I am confused. You don’t say when to add the other half of the beluga lentils….is it when you add the other can of black beans?
Hi Jessica! Sorry about the lack of information. My old posts need some updating! :)
But yes, that’s correct. You add the remaining lentils when you add the second can of black beans. I hope you enjoy them!
Very tasty! I’ve never been able to make a good veggie burger that doesn’t crumble or comes out too dry until now.
What’s the nutritional value?
I’m having trouble with the baking part. After 12 min, when I go to flip them, they just collapse under the spatula and get smeared across the pan. My first batch I had to cook for a good half hour before flipping. I’ve been cooking on a glass pan. Has anyone else had trouble with this?
The recipe smells great! I ate the crumbles and they were good.
I’m sorry, I think I misread your comment the first time. I was thinking you meant glass pan on the stovetop which would have been really strange, haha!
I recommend using a baking sheet with parchment paper. Metal pans get hotter faster than glass!
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I made these and added grated carrot, they are so good and not dry at all, I highly recommend everyone to try.
Wow! Can’t wait to try these! Thank you!