The original plan for today’s post was to share this triple layer carrot cake. I was hoping for a birthday miracle – maybe just this once it would work on the first try? Yea right. Three trials later, I don’t want anything to do with cake. (Let’s be real, that probably won’t last more than a day.) Vegan and gluten-free cake creation is not for the faint of heart, I tell you.
Enter Birthday Burgers. This might have to become a yearly tradition! I think I like this meal better than cake anyway. You’ve probably heard of those BB skin creams and potions that are everywhere these days. Well, I like to think of this as a BB meal. There’s no sugar crash – just a boost of energy for hours, a kick in your step, a glow to the skin. Total BB meal. Nourish that skin from the inside out. Wrapped in curly lettuce and topped with a cilantro-lime-tahini sauce and homemade salsa, it’s just about the most balancing meal I could’ve hoped for to kick off turning 31. It’s going to be a great year.
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Moroccan Yam Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce
Yield
6-8 patties
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A flavourful Moroccan-style veggie burger served with a tangy and fresh cilantro-lime tahini sauce. You can make these burgers soy-free by using coconut aminos and they are naturally gluten-free when using certified gluten-free rolled oats/oat flour. Burger recipe is inspired by Ryan's Moroccan Yam veggie burgers from the Whitewater Cooks Cookbook.
Ingredients
FOR THE BURGERS:
- 1.5 cups grated yam (I used a sweet potato in a pinch)
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger (1 cm cube), peeled
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour (use gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
FOR THE CILANTRO-LIME TAHINI SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup):
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- FOR THE BURGERS: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Peel the yam. Using the regular-sized grate hole, grate the yam until you have 1 1/2 lightly packed cups. I used the grater attachment disc in my food processor to save time (it takes less than 20 seconds). Place into large bowl.
- Remove grater attachment from food processor, and add the regular "s" blade. Mince the garlic, cilantro, and ginger until finely chopped.
- Add drained chickpeas and process again until finely chopped, but leave some texture. Scoop this mixture into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flax and water mixture.
- Grind the oats into a flour using a blender or a food processor. Or you can use 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon pre-ground oat flour. Stir this into the mixture along with the flax mixture.
- Now stir in the oil, aminos/tamari, salt/pepper, and spices until thoroughly combined. Adjust to taste if desired.
- Shape 6-8 patties, packing the mixture firmly together. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip, and bake for another 18-23 minutes until golden and firm. Cool on pan.
- FOR THE CILANTRO SAUCE: Mince garlic in a food processor, followed by the cilantro. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.
- Serve the patties with a generous dollop of sauce and optional homemade salsa (from OSG cookbook, p.95) with a bun or lettuce wrap.
Tip:
Note: I was missing a bit of crunch in these burgers, so next time I think I will add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds into the mix.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Don’t forget – today is the last day to enter the #osgcookbook Vitamix Contest. Keep those pictures coming!
You make the best vegan burgers ever! Wow, they look so satisfying and I bet the sauce is just fabulous with the yams! pinned
Angela, these burgers look so great! Love all the spices and herbs you squeezed in there. Just read that you’re having a girl, congratulations! I knew it. :)
This recipe sounds amazing. A very inspiring use for one of my favorite legumes! Please keep at it with the carrot cake! I have been searching for a great dairy free carrot cake recipe and have yet to find one that I trust will be fantastic. I know that once you have perfected yours, I will finally have a recipe to depend on for the dairy free’s in my life! Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration.
Happy Birthday! I agree-vegan and gluten-free cakes are really challenging! These burgers look great though and any sauce with cilantro has my name on it :)
Happy Birthday. These burgers sound absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to give them a whirl. The cilantro lime tahini sauce has my name written all over it!
Happy Birthday, Angela!
Chickpeas have been taking over my pantry lately. You just solved my problem–these look amazing! Thanks for sharing!
It would be great to read comments from people who have actually made the recipe.
Just made these tonight and they were great. The sauce really kicks it up a notch,
The pattie mixture seemed a bit dry, so I added water to help them stick together. Other than that (and a little less chili powder), I followed the recipe exactly.
And wow, my husband loved the sauce. We each ate 2 patties, side salad, couscous and cucumbers. Nice summer dinner,
Will make again!
Thank you Mb…I was reading comments trying to find any advice about the dry mixture that I got. I will add water to it right now :)
This looks awesome. Need the carrot cake recipe!!!
Carrot cake is my favorite, but I’m sure it’s challenging to make it vegan. I can’t even make the regular kind, but these burgers I’m sure were just as good. Is there any chance that you could grill these instead of cooking them in the oven?
Happy birthday! I must make this for dinner over the long weekend, they look yammy! :D
Pretty sure I’d love to face plant right in to that sauce. And more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ange!! This year has been so huge for you with the book, the move, and now, the baby! Here’s to yet another wonderful one, shared with your growing family. :) xo
These patties look fabulous!! Love!
My husband really wanted to try out his new BBQ (who says vegans don’t BBQ ;) so we grilled these burgers today and they were fantastic! We also grilled some veggies to go with them and I added a tomato salad and organic BBQ sauce to the table. The tahini sauce was a hit too, it had such a lovely creamy texture. Thanks so much for all your delicious and inspiring recipes! And my guess is we will see a carrot cake recipe in the near future ;) You can do it! Happy Birthday!
Cilantro sauce? That’s like catnip to me. YUM.
Happy Birthday Angela! Have a wonderful Day and my best wishes for you! I think you should of just made your Heavenly carrot Cake baked Oatmeal for today :) …..love cilantro I have to try this recipe!
Made these for dinner tonight, they were amazing and looked exactly like the photo! Doesn’t often happen with vegan recipes. I’m new to the site but will definitely be back! Thanks for the wonderful recipes. Happy birthday Angela!
So happy to hear that Anita! :)
Happy birthday, Angela! I hope it turns out to be a fantastic one (but it looks like you’re already well on your way there :)
I’ve never tried a burger wrapped in lettuce but that actually sounds like something I’d enjoy, seeing as how burger buns can make the whole meal feel quite heavy (for me at least.)
Angela these burgers look fabulous, I will definitely have to give them a try! I don’t usually comment but felt compelled to today. Hope you have a wonderful 31st birthday, I also celebrated mine earlier this month and I am also expecting my first child in September! 31 will surely be a life changing year for both of us.
Happy birthday! These burgers look delicious! Do you think they would work with carrot instead of sweet potato? I’ve been getting a lot of carrots in my CSA box lately.
These look like they have flavors I would love! Is the sesame oil you used the dark toasted sesame oil or just regular light sesame oil? Thanks!
I think I used toasted, but I think either would be fine since it’s such a small amount :)