Chef's Notes
- To pickle red onions, submerge them in white vinegar with a generous pinch of salt for at least
6 hours.
Making the Burgers
To make the patties, pulse the rolled oats in a food processor until coarsely ground and set aside.
Combine the sweet potato, black beans, salt, and spices; then incorporate the ground oats.
Let this sit for about 5 minutes so flavors can marry.
Form the mixture into 4 patties. In a skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat.
Add the patties and fry on both sides until crisped, about 4 minutes per side.
To make the sauce: Puree the pepitas and salsa verde in a food processor or blender and set aside.
Build your burger: Mash the avocado and spread on the bottom bun. Then, add your patty and top with the pepita sauce. Finish off the burger with kale and red onion, then the top bun.
Step 1: Making the Burgers
- 11⁄2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup peeled, mashed, cooked sweet potato
- 1 cup mashed black beans
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
- Oil for cooking
- 4 whole wheat burger buns, for serving
- THE SAUCE:
- 1⁄4 cup toasted pepitas
- 1⁄4 cup good-quality salsa verde
- THE TOPPINGS:
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1⁄2 cup loosely packed sliced kale
- Pickled or thinly sliced raw red onion*