Sweet Potato Spinach Quinoa Burgers

When you think of summer what comes to mind? For me it’s plenty of time in the sunshine and hanging out around the pool with family. There is almost always some kind of grilling going on, a lot of food is made and eaten, and fun is always had. Of course hubby, the kids and I are the only vegans at these get togethers, which means we have a whole different menu than the rest of our meat eating family. In the past we have usually settled for one on the pre made store bought burger varieties, but not anymore. This year I will be bringing these Sweet Potato Spinach Quinoa Burgers to all our outdoor get togethers.

For a while vegan burgers were just one of those things I had a hard time finding or creating a really good recipe for. They always seemed to fall apart, were too dry, or just not flavorful enough. With this burger I finally found what I was looking for, it holds together really well, it’s not dry or crumbly, and it’s full of flavor.

This recipe is based off one of the most popular recipes here on the blog, Quinoa Tots. It uses the same technique of cooking the quinoa with extra water to create a sticky base to make the patties. Add in chunks of baked sweet potato, sautéd spinach, the right seasonings and toppings and you’re in vegan burger heaven.
You can make these burgers thick or thin depending on your preference, both are equally delicious. The recipe can be easily doubled or even tripled to accommodate more people. You can also bake the sweet potatoes ahead time and store in the fridge until you’re ready to make the patties to help cut down on a bit of the work.

Feel free to dress these burgers up anyway you like. I topped mine with additional spinach and the most amazing vegan cheese I have ever had, Homemade Fresh Moxarella Cheese from Somer over on Vedged Out.  It is without a doubt the best faux cheese I have tasted and gives this patty the total burger feel. I recommend you hop over to her site and check it out!

For buns I used a homemade one, but I know not everyone has time for that with work, school, and family obligations. You can definitely use store bought vegan buns, in fact Trader Joe’s has a large selection of breads that are vegan.

What's your summer look like? Any exciting trips planned?

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below or snap a pic and tag it @weelittlevegans on Instagram so I’ll be sure to see it!

Recipe

Sweet Potato Spinach Quinoa Burgers

Melissa

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup quinoa
• 1 ¼ cup water
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• dash of pepper
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 small sweet potato about ½ cup
• 2 loosely packed cups spinach
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Vegan buns I used homemade.

Toppings:

• lettuce
• tomatoes
• vegan cheese
• avocado

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Clean sweet potato, place on baking sheet, and bake until tender and easily pierced with a fork about 45-60 mins depending on size.
• While potato bakes prepare quinoa by combining quinoa, water, and salt in a sauce pan. Be sure to rinse quinoa under cool water to remove saponins that can cause a bitter taste if not removed.
• Bring quinoa to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.
• Cook for 30 mins without lifting the lid until all water is absorbed.
  
• While quinoa is cooking lightly sauté spinach in olive oil adding a dash of salt and pepper.
• After 30 minutes stir the quinoa, it should be sticky and hold together, if it does not cook a few minutes longer to cook away any remaining liquid.
• Add onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, nutritional yeast, and cayenne if using to quinoa and stir to thoroughly combine.
• When potato has finished baking and cooled enough to handle cut in half and scoop out the middle into a small bowl and lightly mash with fork. You want to it to still have some pieces.
• Add sweet potato and spinach to quinoa and gently fold in just to combine.
• Scoop desired amount and using palm of hands, form into a patty shape and place on parchment lined baking sheet. You can make thin or thick patties, both work well.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and carefully flip.
• Continue to bake for 15 minutes longer until lightly browned and crispy around the edges.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for a few minutes. Build your burger!

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled if you need more and patties freeze well.