Smoky Vegan Burger with Sweet Potato Fries
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour + 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Scrumptious plant based burger with all the trimmings!
Let's talk all things burger-vicious! Growing up vegetarian and being a lover of all things vegetable based versus fake meats, I have never really been a big burger lover. Oh boy how much that has changed recently, I am a massive burger fan now. I love my burger patties made from whole grains, beans or legumes and packed with veggies. It's also all about the trimmings - they really are the best part. You just need the RIGHT burger to completely change your mind if you aren't an original fan and this one is one of my favourites.
I created this baby as part of a mini series in collaboration with Van Loveren for their newly launched Absolutely Zero bubbly range. It is a de-alcoholised 100% Sauvignon Blanc sparkling wine with 0% alcohol. It is delicious, refreshing and the perfect mindful drink for summer. It has tiny festive bubbles, crisp tropical flavours on the palate and is well balanced with a smooth finish. I also whipped up 4 mocktails alongside 4 plant based recipes for the perfect Al fresco dining this summer.
Let's cook :)
Ingredients
Homemade BBQ Sauce
1 cup sugar free tomato sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sweetener of choice (coconut sugar / maple syrup / agave syrup)
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp tamari
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
2-3 drops liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste
Burger patty
1 cup black beans, cooked + drained (no liquid)
1 cup sweet potato or butternut, peeled + steamed
2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
Half a red onion, roughly chopped
¼ cup walnuts
1 garlic clove, grated
4 tbsp brown rice flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp tamari (can sub soy sauce)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt + pepper to taste
Sweet potato fries
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into long strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Pink Himalayan salt + black pepper
Serve with:
Rolls of choice
Greens, lettuce or rocket
Caramelised onions or pickled onions
Guacamole or avo slices
Vegan mayo
Cucumber ribbons
Tomato slices
Method for BBQ sauce
Combine all ingredients together in a blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a pot and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
Method for burger patty
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions, cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cook until the onions start to soften, add the mushrooms and continue cooking for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, tamari and black pepper. Set this mixture aside. To a food processor, add the black beans (make sure they are dry and don’t have excess liquid) and walnuts. Pulse a few times, you don’t want a smooth mixture but you want the beans and nuts to break down a bit so they are still a little chunky but some bits are softer and broken up like a crumble. It adds to the texture of the patty. Remove from food processor and set mixture aside. Then place the steamed sweet potato or butternut into the food processor along with the cooked onions and mushroom mix. Pulse a few times so that the mixture combines but isn’t smooth – this is the mix that will bring all the flavour to the patty. In a bowl, combine the two mixtures together and add the brown rice flour. If your mixture is too wet, add a bit more flour and gently mix everything together. Wet your hands and then shape the mixture into 4 burger patties. The mixture will make 4 large burger patties but you can make 6-8 smaller ones too. The burger patties can then be Air Fried, baked in the oven or cooked on a non-stick pan. Make sure to flip the burgers over gently so that they cook through on both sides. I Air Fried these burgers on high at 204C for 15 minutes, turning them over at the halfway mark and didn’t use any oil. But if you are going to bake them or cook them I would suggest brushing them with olive oil beforehand. I added the BBQ sauce onto the burger patty when serving but the BBQ sauce can also be used to baste the burger while cooking.
Method for sweet potato fries
Mix together the olive oil, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the sweet potato strips to the bowl and make sure each piece is generously coated with the oil and spices. The sweet potato can either be Air Fried on high at 204C for 10-15 minutes or baked in a preheated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes. Cooking times vary depending on your Air Fryer or oven, best to flip the fries over at the halfway mark of cooking time.
Special thanks to food stylist and photographer, Samantha Lowe.
With love,
Mira
