Cajun Sweet Potato and Chickpea Veggie Burger Recipe
Delicious veggie burgers packed with sweet potato and chickpeas and lightly spiced with cajun seasoning.
Hello, it’s Ciara here again from My Fussy Eater and I’m delighted to be back here on Super Healthy Kids sharing my recipes and ideas for feeding picky eating families. Today I’ve got summer on my brain and nothing says summer like big juicy burger eaten on picnic blankets in the garden!
In an effort to get my children to eat a more varied diet and to eat less meat in general, I decided to make these Veggie Burgers. They are super easy to make and contain just two basic but really nutritious ingredients; sweet potato and chickpeas, mixed with some cajun seasoning and garlic powder.
The amount of cajun seasoning you should add will depend on how mild or spicy you want your burgers to be. You can also change up the flavour altogether by adding other herbs and spices; these burgers are completely customizable!
These burgers are gluten, dairy, egg and nut free so they make a great choice for families dealing with allergies and are also suitable for vegans too. I also made a delicious vibrant green Avocado Mayo to go with them, which is so tasty in the burger or just used as a general dip for crudites or chips!
I think its worth mentioning here by I didn’t use a food processor to break down the chickpeas and mix them with the sweet potato. If you make the burgers this way the mixture becomes to wet and mulchy and you then need to add in some breadcrumbs to firm it up. However, by mashing the chickpeas by hand with a fork they keep some of their texture which holds the burger together better and also gives them a lovely bite.
Freezing the patties before cooking is also another essential tip as this makes them completely firm so that they don’t fall apart as they cook.
Cajun Sweet Potato and Chickpea Veggie Burger
Ingredients
Veggie Burgers
- 2 medium sweet potato
- 1 can drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned
- 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
Avocado Mayo
- 1 medium avocado
- 1/2 medium lime
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard, dijon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
Serve on
- 4 medium hamburger buns, whole wheat
- 4 leaf outer lettuce
- 1 medium tomato, red
- 1/2 medium onion
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes either by baking them in the oven or cooking them in the microwave. To microwave them, put the sweet potatoes on a sheet of kitchen paper, pierce each several times with a sharp knife and cook on high for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Spoon the flesh out of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Mash the chickpeas and then add to the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Add the cajun spice, mixed herbs and garlic powder and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Form the mixture into 4 patties, put on a plate and place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove the patties from the freezer and place onto a lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning once.
- Make the avocado mayo by placing the avocado flesh, lime juice and garlic powder in a food processor. Blitz until everything is well combined and smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Once the patties are cooked, remove from the oven and build your own burger with a bread bun, lettuce, tomato, onion and a dollop of avocado mayo!
Nutrition
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Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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I make veggie burgers for exactly same reasons. I should try this recipe out. I learnt with kids anything will go in a burger if you put it in a bun with ketchup.
Just came across this recipe and it sounds delicious! What side do you serve it with?
Hi Ciara,
Thanks so much for the recipe… the patties are cooking in my oven at this very moment! The mixture tastes great, so I’m looking forward to tasting the finished product. Also, the avocado mayo is delicious!
The only problem I am experiencing is the cook time. I followed every instruction, including placing the patties in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to cooking (i actually left them in for about 45) – and after placing in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, I took the patties out to flip them and they were stuck to the parchment paper and still quite mushey. I put them in for an additional 10 minutes – but it didn’t help.
I have since “flipped them” (by scopping each patty up, and flipping with my bare hands) and placed them back in the oven, only i put them directly on the baking sheet and increased the heat to 425 degrees, hoping that might get them firm and cooked.
Any idea what I did wrong???
Thanks again – im certain i will love these as soon as they are cooked right!
I made these with half a cup of panko and they worked out very well. Veggie burgers can come out delicate when there is too much moisture, so you can use oats, bread crumbs, or some sort of grain to make them hold together or really monitor the amount of liquid that ends up accumulating with each added ingredient.