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–+ servings

Sweet Potato & Wild Rice Veggie Burgers

5 from 1 vote
These are everything I want in a veggie burger. They are hearty, filling, packed with umami flavor but also have a subtle sweetness that you can't beat.
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Prep Time:40 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: burger, leeks, sweet potato, vegetables, vegetarian, wild rice
Servings: 8 burger patties

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 small leek
  • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 12 ounce sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp red hot sauce I like Frank's Red Hot
  • 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste

Optional

  • 8 small potato buns for serving

Instructions

  • Rinse and cook the wild rice to your liking, either on the stove or in a rice cooker. This will take about 30 minutes.
  • Cover the walnuts with a cup of boiling hot water and let them sit to soften.
  • Thinly slice the leeks, discard the very top and the very bottom pieces. Thinly slice the garlic. Add the olive oil to a large pan and bring it to medium heat. Cook the leeks and garlic until they have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then lower the heat and add the red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook until they leek is very soft, about another 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
  • Using your preferred method, cook the sweet potato until fork tender.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hot sauce, red wine vinegar and cornstarch. Mix until slightly thickened and well combined.
  • Drain the walnuts and roughly chop them up.
  • In a large bowl, add the rice, walnuts, leeks and sweet potato. Drizzle in the soy sauce mixture. Use a clean hand to mix all the ingredients together.
  • Wet your hands to prevent sticking, and shape the mix into 8 equal-sized burgers. From here you can either freeze them and save them for later, or cook immediately.
  • If you are cooking immediately on the stovetop: Put a pan on medium heat and add a slash of oil. Pan fry the burgers for 2 minutes on each side or until they are dark and crispy.
  • If you are cooking immediately in the oven: Set the oven to broil on high and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Put the burgers on a baking sheet and spray the tops of the burgers with a cooking oil. Broil on high for 2 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side.
  • Serve immediately on toasted potato buns with all your favorite burger toppings.