“The great thing about burgers is that you can make loads ahead of time and freeze them, especially for the barbecue season,” says David Atherton, winner of 2019 Great British Bake Off.

Beet burgers recipe with sweet potato buns
(Ant Duncan/PA)

These veggie burgers are served with brioche-style buns enriched with sweet potato instead of the usual butter, sugar and egg. Atherton adds: “It might be difficult to imagine until you’ve tried one, but the heavy, earthy sweet potato actually makes these rolls incredibly soft, fluffy and golden.”

ADVERTISEMENT
Beet burgers recipe with sweet potato buns
(Ant Duncan/PA)
Beet burgers recipe with sweet potato buns
Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Beet burgers with sweet potato buns
Amount Per Serving
Calories 456 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 1294mg56%
Potassium 511mg15%
Carbohydrates 78g26%
Fiber 9g38%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 6530IU131%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 145mg15%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Beet burgers with sweet potato buns

Veggie burgers served with brioche-style buns
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Proving time1 hour
Total Time3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course, Party food
Cuisine: British
Servings: 8
Calories: 456kcal
Author: David Atherton

Equipment

  • Baking tray
  • Small bowl
  • Mixing bowl
  • Frying pan or BBQ
  • Blender or food processor
  • Baking sheet

Ingredients

For the burgers:

  • 250 g canned black beans drained
  • 100 g cooked beetroot finely chopped
  • 80 g prunes finely chopped
  • 100 g Cheddar finely grated
  • 80 g sweet potato peeled and finely grated
  • 4 garlic cloves finley grated
  • 150 g sourdough breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp white miso
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp fine salt
  • 10 g  fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 40 g quinoa
  • 8 Sweet tato buns (see below) or shop-bought burger buns

For the buns:

  • 260 g sweet potatoes
  • 20 ml light olive oil plus extra for greasing
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 140 ml warm water
  • 340 g strong white bread flour
  • 60 g strong wholemeal (whole-wheat) bread flour
  • 1 medium egg
  • Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling on top

Method

  • To make the burgers: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/gas mark 6).
  • Put the black beans onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes to dry them out. Add these to a mixing bowl, allow to cool slightly, then squeeze with your hands a few times until they are slightly mushed but you can still easily tell they are beans.
  • Add the beetroot and prunes to the mix, along with the cheese, sweet potato, garlic and breadcrumbs.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the miso, mustard, smoked paprika, egg and salt with a fork until smooth. Add this to the mixing bowl with the parsley, then mush the whole thing together until it is all combined. Shape the mix into eight burgers, each 1cm thick. Sprinkle the quinoa onto a plate and press the burgers into this on both sides to give a crunchy crust. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour or until ready to cook.
  • To cook, bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then fry for six minutes on each side in a frying pan on a medium heat, then one minute on each side on a high heat to get a good char. Alternatively, grill on a barbecue for six minutes on each side. Serve in the sweet tato buns (see method below) with your choice of condiments.
  • To make the buns:  Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/gas mark 6).
  • Start by roasting the sweet potatoes in their skin for 40 minutes. Once cooled, peel and blend until smooth. This can be done ahead of time; I freeze this as portions so I can defrost when needed.
  • Mix the sweet potato pulp, oil, salt, yeast and warm water, then add the flours and bring together to form a dough (this is a sticky dough). Cover with beeswax wrap or clingfilm and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Now you have to gently knead for five minutes. I prefer to do this in the bowl and just use a spatula. You are not really kneading so much as stretching the dough. If you have a stand mixer and a dough hook it is a lot easier. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about one hour).
  • Knock back the dough and divide into eight pieces. Form these into tight balls and transfer to a lined baking sheet (spaced well apart, about 5cm).
  • Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave until at least doubled in size (about one hour, but don’t worry if it’s longer, definitely make sure they’ve doubled in size). At this time, preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C/425°F/ gas mark 7).
  • Beat the egg, then gently brush the egg wash on the buns and sprinkle with the sesame seeds before baking for 12–14 minutes.
  • Allow to cool before slicing with a serrated knife. These are best eaten fresh, but are good the next day toasted.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1294mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6530IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 4mg

Good To Eat by David Atherton, photography by Ant Duncan, is published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Good to Eat: Real food to nourish and sustain you for life
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Atherton, David (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

 

You may be interested in…

This article may include affiliate links to products and services where we may receive a small fee to support the running of this site if you make a purchase or is a sponsored article from one of our select editorial partners providing valuable advice and information to our readers.

ADVERTISEMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Recipe Rating




Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.