Bean and Sweet Potato Burger with Parmesan Crisps

Bean and Sweet Potato Burger with Parmesan Crisps. I have always found it strange that Veggie Burgers , often made with carb-rich ingredients such as beans, are normally served in a bread bun. So I was brainstorming on how I could adapt the Veggie Burger and came up with the idea of a parmesan crisp ‘bun’. Not actually a bun at all, but a new way of serving a veggie burger between two parmesan crisps. I also came up with the easiest way of making the parmesan crisps ever- by using a microwave. 

For the burgers, I used black eyed beans but any tinned beans would work just as well. I genuinely found this vegetarian meal as one of the tastiest things I have made in a long time and I challenge any meat-loving-doubter to give it a go. Let me know what you think in the comments below, or share a photo of your creation and tag me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

RECIPE

Makes 4 burgers (can be frozen and then cooked straight from the freezer)

Difficulty Level: Rookie

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of beans ( I used black eyed beans)
• 100g sweet potato
• 5 spring onions
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 egg
• 40g breadcrumbs (either whizz Bread in a food processor or grate)
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan

You will also need greaseproof paper!

To serve: Mayonnaise, Buffalo hot sauce, spinach, halved cherry tomatoes

Method:

1. Chop the sweet potato into small chunks. Place in a microwaveable dish (anything that is not metal) and add one tablespoon of water. Cover with cling film and pierce a couple times with a sharp knife. Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drain the tin of beans and add to a food processor. Roughly chop the spring Onion and add this too. Also add the egg, breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper and a good grind of salt and pepper.

3. Drain any liquid from the sweet potato and mash with a fork. Add to the food processor and then whizz all the ingredients until you have a chunky paste. It is best to pulse it gradually so you don’t make it too smooth.

4. Shape the mixture into four burger shaped patties. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.

5. Take a small plate and cover it with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Using the finest side of your grater, grate over enough parmesan to just cover the base of the plate. The plate acts as a guide- try and cover the flat round base with Parmesan for a round crisp. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and allow to cool for 1 minute before carefully peeling off the paper. Repeat for the remaining crisps (if you’re doing four burgers you’ll need 8 crisps- probably obvious!)

6. Heat a frying pan over a medium- high heat. Drizzle the bean burgers lightly with olive oil and cook for around 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and warmed through.

7. Drizzle over some hot sauce on the bottom parmesan crisp. Add the burger and top with spinach, tomatoes and mayonnaise before adding the top parmesan crisp ‘bun’ enjoy!

Tips

• Use leftover sweet potatoes to make my coconut sweet potato chips
• Would also go well with other fillings. Try garlic aioli, tzatziki or salsa for a sauce. Try lettuce, red onion or peppers. Add extra melted cheese on top of the burger for a double cheese burger!
• Greaseproof paper is essential for the parmesan crisps