Sweet Potato black bean SUPERFOOD burgers: gluten-free, grain-free option

​It has been WAY too long since I made veggie burgers, so decided that now was the perfect time to test out a new recipe. I have been craving easy and loaded salads recently and love tossing a veggie burger on for some extra flavor, fiber, complex carbs, and protein and these were the perfect addition!

The burgers taste great on top of a salad, in a wrap with avocado and salsa, with an egg, or classic: on a bun! I love the combination of sweet potato and black beans.

I didn't stop there- I wanted my burgers to have a superfood KICK, so I added a new-to-me ingredient: Tumeric! Sarifoods was nice enough to send me this superfood, so I decided to experiment. I have heard such great things about Tumeric and wanted to try it beyond just in tea or a smoothie. It added a kick to these burgers and a great nutritional benefit!

Research has supported the Tumeric can help to....

1. Improve cardiovascular health by preventing blood clots and lowering cholesterol

2. Lower depressive symptoms

3. Reduce inflammation- Inflammation is associated with cancer, IBD, Ulcerative colitis, and arthritis.

4. Improve glow of skin and reduce acne

I am not saying that Tumeric will do any or all of these things, but there is developing research out there proving its benefits so I say we may as well try it. As a nursing student, I am often in the clinical setting and I witness firsthand the importance of combining both traditional and holistic medicine to live a healthy and full life!!

These burgers came together super quickly. They may look like cat food, but I promise they are SO flavorful and free of the additives you will find in store-bought burgers! I really love them and hope you will look past their ugly and try for yourself... because it's whats on the inside that counts, right?!

Recipe

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

-2 cups mashed sweet potato (I used about 8 of the super tiny ones from TJs, but 2 large ones should be good.)

- 1 can black beans

-1/4 cup flour of choice: I used oat but almond or wheat works!

-1/4 coconut flour OR use 1/2 cup more of the oat/almond flour

-1/2 cup diced onion

-1/2 cup of corn (LOL I added this halfway through so only a few of my burgers had corn. Definitely like the sweet addition though but it is optional!)

-1 1/2 cup cauliflower rice (can use normal rice, I just like the added veggies and fewer carbs as I have PCOS)

-1-3 Tablespoons of tumeric (optional but so many healthy benefits and adds a kick! Add less if you are getting used to the taste)

-1 Tablespoon cumin

-1 teaspoon black pepper

-1 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon paprika

-Optional: crushed red pepper

1. Set oven to 400 and bake sweet potatoes for 30 minutes.

2. Cook your cauliflower rice ( I microwaved frozen riced cauli from TJs) and squeeze the excess water out with a paper towel.

3. Mash half the blackbeans in a mixing bowl.

4. Add sweet potato to blackbean mixture and mash. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.

5. To form burgers: I lined cling wrap around a 1/3 cup measuring cup and filled with mixture to form a circle and then pressed down with my hands to form a tight patty. If you want, just roll into a ball and flatten they just won't be as symmetrical!

6. Place patties on a greased baking tray and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on how firm/juicy you like them. Flip around the 20 minute mark.

Enjoy!!