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Tempeh, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Burgers


  • Author: Allison
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8-12 burgers 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Flavourful, protein-packed veggie burgers made with tempeh, sweet potato, and quinoa. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (from 1 large sweet potato)
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil 
  • Pinch each salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • Scant 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion 
  • 4 medium cloves of garlic 
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 
  • 1 tsp dried basil 
  • 1 tsp dried thyme 
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika 
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes 
  • 2 tbsp low sodium tamari
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
  • 3 tbsp barbecue sauce or ketchup 
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Wizard’s brand as it is gluten-free, vegan, and organic) 
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce 
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 
  • 1 8-oz block of tempeh, cubed 
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecan halves

Toppings: 

  • Kimchi or sauerkraut 
  • Cheese of choice 
  • Pickles 
  • Mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, relish
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Green Goddess Ranch 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the diced sweet potato with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and arrange in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, or until fork tender. 
  2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Combine the quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and cover with lid. Cook for 15 minutes and set aside. 
  3. Place the sweet potato, quinoa, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, smoked paprika, chili flakes, tamari, Dijon mustard, barbecue sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, sesame oil, tempeh, cilantro, and pecans in a large bowl. Stir everything together, then use a potato masher to lightly mash the tempeh and sweet potato into smaller pieces. 
  4. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 8-12 equal balls and flatten into patties. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes (for smaller burgers) or 40-45 minutes (for larger burgers) or until they start to look crispy. 
  5. OPTIONAL: To get those crispy exteriors that everyone loves, I like to finish the burgers on the stovetop. To do so, warm 1/2 tbsp of oil (preferably a high heat oil like avocado or grapeseed, but olive oil works in a pinch) in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place 4 burgers into the skillet at a time and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until crispy exteriors form. You can also melt some cheese on the burgers at the very end of cooking on the skillet. 
  6. Serve on buns with any or all of the accompaniments listed above! 
 

Notes

If you find that the burger mixture isn’t sticking together very well once you’ve added all of the ingredients, add a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water) to help bind these burgers. If they still aren’t sticking together, add another tablespoon of flax. Another option is to pulse the cubed tempeh in a food processor a few times until crumbly, instead of just mashing it once it’s in the bowl. 

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Main Course

Keywords: tempeh sweet potato burgers