“Triple S” Veggie Burger

First off, let me explain the name of this recipe.

Naming a recipe is harder than you think.  You want to make it sound exciting, delicious, and memorable.  You want it to be catchy, fun, and paint a picture in your head.  Sometimes naming the recipe is harder than creating the actual recipe.  So, we decided to go with “Triple S” Veggie Burger.  You can call it the Sss Burger, but you may get some odd looks as it sounds like you may have developed a slight lisp.  So, let’s stick with “The Triple S.”  🙂  Triple S standing for:

• Spicy
• Smoky
• and Sweet

Ahhh… get it?  Three “S’s”…. catchy right?, mouth watering right? — You definitely have to try this one.

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, in case you’re new to the world of veggie burgers — Don’t be afraid.  But, please don’t expect veggies, and grains to magically transform themselves into a beefy burger.  Instead the result is a patty packed with in this case sweet potato (sweet), black beans, chipotle and cumin seasonings (spicy and smoky), along with some corn, and other great ingredients.  It’s awesome.

Spices: Cumin, Mexican Oregano, Chipotle Powder

For this recipe, I’ve chosen to cook the burgers in the oven, but a fry pan on the stove  would work well too.  From past experiences, you can grill homemade veggie burgers outside on the bbq too, but it’s best done with frozen patties on a well oiled grill, or cook them on an oiled piece of foil to ensure they don’t stick, fall apart, and create a huge mess.

Speaking of falling apart — the reason why veggie burgers fall apart easier compared to their meat counterpart is the lack of fat / gristle that would normally help hold their share.  For this recipe, we use oats, rice, and ketchup as our binding ingredients. They work well, you just have to learn how to adjust for the switch.

Since we’ve begun eating plant based, we almost always have cooked brown rice in the fridge.  So this recipe came together very quickly since we didn’t have to wait the 45 minutes for the rice to cook up.  You can use “Boil in a Bag Brown Rice” or frozen brown rice too in a pinch.  We also microwaved instead of baking the sweet potatoes to help speed up our prep time.  5 minutes per potato is all it took in our microwave.

I tried to include ingredients with a “Southwestern” style – black beans, corn, spices…. and I’m sure fresh cilantro would be amazing in this too if you have some on hand.  Either as part of the burger, or perhaps as a burger topping, along with your lettuce if you please.

Speaking of burger toppings?  Of course you can top with the “norm” — Tomato and lettuce, but let’s live on the edge for a second.  Salsa? Corn Relish? Caramelized onions? BBQ sauce? Avocado slices? Ooooo, go one step further — How about guacamole?  Yes please!  Let me know what your favourite toppings are.

Lastly, you’ll notice that this is a recipe with large quantities. (2 sweet potatoes, 2 cans of beans, etc.)  We chose to make the recipe large enough for 8-10 patties (depending on your desired size.)  When I initially make the recipe, I usually cook up 4 patties that day, and freeze the rest.  To freeze, the steps are simple.  Form into desired patty size, layer between sheets of wax paper, and freeze in a freezer safe container or bag.  Orrrrr….. If you live somewhere as cold as I do —  cover the tray of formed veggie burgers and place OUTSIDE for a couple hours.  Once frozen — pop into a freeze safe container / bag.  He he.  Gotta love the perks of winter.

To prepare them for your next super easy and quick meal, no need to thaw, just pop in the oven, fry pan, or grill.  If your freezer is super full, or you are cooking for one — the recipe will halve nicely as well.