By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- About 1 hour, not including chilling in the refrigerator or baking the sweet potatoes
- Rating
- 5(1,239)
- Notes
- Read community notes
You can use blond or black quinoa for these delicate burgers. Black will look striking against the sweet potato’s orange when you cut into the burgers. The red lentils pale to yellow when you cook them; they contribute texture and flavor. The burgers have a decidedly Mediterranean flavor, with feta and mint included in the mix. But I still like to serve them with raita or chutney; a more Mediterranean condiment would be yogurt seasoned with puréed garlic and mint.
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Ingredients
Yield:10 patties
- ⅓cup quinoa (blond or black), rinsed
- ⅓cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1⅔cups water
- Salt to taste
- 1½pounds sweet potatoes, baked
- 3cups, tightly packed, chopped fresh spinach
- 3ounces feta, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- ¼cup minced chives
- 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1cup panko or chickpea flour (you will not use all of it)
- ¼cup grape seed oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
275 calories; 11 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 462 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Combine quinoa, red lentils, water and salt to taste (I used a rounded ½ teaspoon) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until quinoa is tender and blond quinoa displays a thread, and lentils are just tender. Drain off any water remaining in the pot through a strainer, tapping strainer against the sink to remove excess water, then return quinoa and lentils to the pot. Cover pot with a towel, then return the lid and let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.
Step
2
Skin sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. Mash with a fork. Add spinach and mash together (I use my hands for this). Add quinoa and lentils, feta, mint, chives, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together well. Mixture will be moist.
Step
3
Take up about ⅓ cup of the mixture and form into a ball (you can wet your hands to reduce sticking). Roll the ball in the panko or chickpea flour, then gently flatten into a patty. Set on a plate and continue with the rest of the mixture. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour or longer (the longer the better).
Step
4
When you’re ready to cook, place a rack over a sheet pan. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch, heavy nonstick frying pan over high heat. Swirl the pan to coat with the hot oil. Lower heat to medium. Place 4 to 5 patties in the pan (do not crowd), and cook until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown for about 4 more minutes. Remove to rack. Heat remaining oil in the pan and cook remaining patties. Keep patties warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Serve with a salad and your choice of toppings, such as the usual (ketchup, mustard, relish), or yogurt raita, garlic yogurt, or chutney.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can form the patties and keep them refrigerated for up to 2 days, or cook them all the way through and keep them refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a low oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The patties freeze well. Thaw completely before reheating.
Ratings
5
out of 5
1,239
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Cooking Notes
Melina
Love these! I had them with whole wheat naan, garlic-cilantro-jalapeno yogurt sauce, and cabbage salad. I think this has been one of the most successful veggie burgers I've made. They didn't crumble apart in the pan and were really delicious. I deviated from the recipe by mixing everything in my food processor instead of chopping stuff up. It saved time - and may have made the mixture easier to keep from breaking apart while cooking - but the result is probably not as texturally nice.
Chris
Very tasty, and the patties held up to cooking better than most any other veggie burger recipe - even without the refrigerator step which we omitted and seemed unnecessary in retrospect. The sweet potato was dominant and could be reduced in ratio to the other ingredients.
Rosemary
So delicious! I used brown lentils, almond flour and 1/4 of the suggested amount of sweet potatoes (to my taste, it was just the right amount of sweetness). I also combined spinach and arugula and substituted the feta with goat cheese. Froze several of the uncooked patties so looking forward to another delicious meal!
Theresa
Martha Rose Shulman creates some of the best recipes I've ever made. This one included. I had no mint so I just left it out - still delicious. Served it with green beans garnished with shallots and rosemary.
Thank you, Martha Rose!
alissajanet
Delicious, and relatively quick and easy. Added toasted cumin, coriander, mustard, and celery seed, and omitted the feta. Used parsley, chives, and dill. Baked at 350 instead of pan-frying. Served with a tahini sauce over a bed of spinach.
Jen
Made with butternut squash, tricolor quinoa, brown lentils, cilantro, goat cheese, 2 eggs and rolled in cornmeal. Didn’t refrig. It was great.
Anne
This was an amazing recipe. I used cotija instead of feta, and rolled the patties in cornmeal rather than breadcrumbs--both substitutions worked well. This might be my go-to veggie burger recipe now.
Renee
I feel like I'm missing something here. These did not hold together in the slightest and were sloppy mashed sweet potatoes. I'm not an amateur cook - especially not with veggie burgers. That being said, these are incredibly delicious!! So I will try them again with some modifications; not sure what yet.
Emily
I didn't have any mint in the house, so I made this with a teaspoon of cumin instead. I also used cornmeal on the exterior instead of the panko. While I would still really like to try it with mint, it came out really nicely with the cumin.
Michael
I did a test patty and found that it didn’t want to hold together, so I mixed in an egg, then pressed each patty in some Panko which had been drizzled with Olive oil. I put them on a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and baked them for 15 minutes at 325 and they really held together well. Yummy recipe! Thanks!
Tess
Delicious! Made some raita and put on a pita. Didn't have chickpea flour but I used breadcrumbs. Worked just fine. There was a lot of sweet potato, so I might reduce that a bit next time. Don't skimp on the mint. It's delicious and sort of a luxury in the dead of winter. Had plenty to freeze. Will let you know how the frozen patties turn out once reheated. Will make this again for sure.
HK
I thought this veggie burger recipe was one of the best I have ever made. As others have mentioned they don’t fall apart like other recipes. I think the lemon juice and mint brought out a distinctive taste that I really loved. I used the chickpea flour instead of breadcrumbs and that produced just the right amount of crunch and flavor. I fixed these for myself on Wednesday and today I have only 2 left in my freezer to reheat. Delicious.
Lori
These looked good. I followed the recipe - I weighed the sweet potatoes because others stated that they were overpowering. Well, sad to say, these should be renamed mushy sweet potato patties. I even chilled them for 4 hours prior to cooking- sautéed some then baked the rest- they were so mushy. Couldn’t taste the feta - could only taste sweet potato - and if I want to taste only sweet potato I’ll just bake one and not go through all these steps.
Suzanne Hayes
Super yummy, but I don't know how anyone can keep these together as a patty.
moire123
I made this. It’s great !Substitutions:Regular bread crumbs for pankoFrozen spinach for fresh Revisions made after reading comments:- added Teaspoon of Cumin- added a bit of gluten flour (to ensure the patty held together) Reduced: sweet potatoes. Topped with:HummusCarrots, gratedAvocadoSour creamHot sauceServed on pita. Will definitely make again.
Zeldie
delicious; this is a staple I keep in my fridge either already cooked or ready to cook. and yes it holds together just follow the recipe or the approximate guidelines. I used chopped raw or cooked kale. just add whatever spices you like. I put pepperocini or pepper flakes, cumin, sweet chili, paprika into everything so just relax and enjoy cooking.
Lin
Instead of mayonnaise or ketchup, I used chili crisp and it was soooo good. The spicy/saltiness really balanced the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Sally
Question: Should I cook the spinach first or use raw? My concern with raw spinach is the moisture. Like the idea of substituting arugula. What about subbing Kale? Cooked or raw?
Sarah Y
These were a little fussy, and I think I'd just bake them in the oven next time, since they do stick to the pan. But the flavor was GREAT, and they work over a salad or in a bun. I think they'd freeze nicely for dinner in a pinch too, since the recipe makes a ton. Make sure you brown them, or there won't be a ton of texture.
Michelle
Made exactly as the recipe suggested and was delicious. The mint is perfect. Had no problem with them holding together.
Susain
I, too, found them unpleasantly mushy and a little bland. I have four more in the freezer, and will add some more spice for flavor when I defrost. Won't make again.
eric
Delicious
Wendy
Loved the flavor. Texture was a bit mushy. I agree with others that maybe reducing amount of sweet potato might help but didn't mind the prominence of the sweet potato flavor.
Katie C.
These are delicious! I may have cooked the lentils and quinoa for too long (17 minutes) because the lentils disintegrated into the quinoa. These were also quite soft for me, even after adding an egg. I would add some breadcrumbs and maybe a second egg in the future. I also replaced the mint with cilantro because that’s what I had. Overall, these are a great healthy alternative to meat burger!
diannep
I cook these in an air fryer. The coating gets crisp with out burning. I was having a lot of trouble with the on stove technique. I spray the basket and top of patty with non-stick cooking spray. 350 degree for 12 minutes and flip them halfway through. Simply an amazing recipe that my kids gobble up.
ureymills
OMGoodness! These have been my favorite dish by far! Loved these!
Martin
My wife and I really like this recipe and it's fairly reliable, but without exception (for us) we need to do an extended refrigeration. An hour in the fridge after shaping isn't enough. The burgers cook more easily and "finish" far better the next day.
debkatz
Not sure I’ve ever made anything from the NYT that was this big of a failure. I added almond flour and an egg to help it bind. Cooked a batch in the oven and pan fried the other - to no avail. These were too soft to hold their shape and in no way worth the effort.
Susan
Not a fan. This recipe required a saucepan, a strainer, a sheet pan, a frying pan, and a wire rack, plus a cutting board and a bunch of other utensils. The results weren't even as good a frozen garden burger. Mushy and too sweet. On the plus side, they're quite nutritious.
Julie Meer
Yum. Made as directed. On the keeper list. Question: Weigh the sweet potato before or after cooking?
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