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!
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try!
Angela,
Chickpeas do not suit me due to severe acidity issues. Could you suggest a replacement if possible?
Thanks
Shradha
Hello Angela,
I’m a huge fan of yours – I make your recipes all the time. I just love how healthy, fresh, and pure your recipes are, and at the same time, they are elevated, sophisticated dishes, using relatively basic, not obscure, ingredients.
I made these burgers and the sauce yesterday for my family and we all absolutely loved them. Probably one of the best dishes I’ve made from your site and one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. The burger’s flavor is so complex and multi-dimensional – in one bite, I get a sweet flavor from the cinnamon and sweet potato (which I used instead of yam) and then the spicy flavor comes through. Really delicious. So thank you!! You are such an inspiration as a vegan cook, leading a healthy, wholesome glowing lifestyle.
And congratulations on your pregnancy! Best wishes!
Hi Greta, Im so happy to hear this! Thanks for your kind words of support :)
I made these for 4th of july and they were delish! I added some sunflower seeds per the suggestion at the bottom. My only complaint is that mine came out a little too mushy because I think I over-processed the mix in the food processor. I cooked them for longer than suggested hoping it would make them firm up some, but it didn’t really help. The taste was right on though and by day 2 of leftovers, they were almost the perfect consistency!! The cilantro tahini sauce was also a huge hit and really “made” the recipe :) Everyone (including many non-vegans) loved them! Thank you for another fabulous keeper!
These were delicious! My 3 year old even ate one. I normally eat meat with dinner, but these were very satisfying on their own. Thank you for sharing!
What about gaining some recipe inspiration from Babycakes NYC for gluten-free vegan cakes.
Hello,
I am very interested in making this but I am wondering if you have any suggestions of an alternate herb to use than cilantro? Perhaps it isn’t possible to substitute that part but I just wanted to ask because I really like the overall idea and everything else in the recipe!
Thanks,
Jen
I just made the Moroccan Yam Veggie Burgers for my family. They were SO good! Even my teenagers ate them with NO (real) complaining. The sauce on top was perfect and I added the sunflower seeds, too. I love your site and have referred it to many others. I can’t say enough awesome things about all these recipes.
These Moroccan veggie burgers were awesome! I added the sunflower seeds as suggested and ate them on pocketless pitas. Thanks, Angela!
This is a flavour infused recipe that will go into my cook book. If you enjoy cilantro, this will tickle your taste buds.
I would add some crunch as the recipe suggests.
I individually wrapped the patties and put them in the fridge. Warming up by frying in your oil of choice adds a very nice exterior shell/crust.
Sultanas would be a nice addition too.
Thanks for the recipe !
Fabulous. The burgers were tasty as was the sauce. Left-overs went into the lunch bags!!
I made these and they were yummy!! The sauce is so good that I will use it for other recipes as well. These burgers will be a regular in my menu rotation:)
This is delicious! Great moist burgers and the sauce is such a treat!
Angela,
How do these compare to your veggie burgers with the peanut sauce. They both share many of the same ingredients, but with some differences. I can’t decide which ones to make… Is one recipe more spicy or savory or something?
Amazing!!! I love freezing this so I have them for lunches. One of my favourite recipes of all time!
These are one of our all time favourite recipes from your collection. I have made them now about 4 or 5 times and am just about to cook up a batch for tonight. Honestly the mix of flavours is heavenly! I think they need a new name though. ‘Burgers’ makes them sound so ordinary and these are anything but.
You must not skip making the sauce and salsa and DO serve on a bed of greens as suggested. The salsa ingredients today are coming from my garden.
Another excellent veggie burgers recipe. I made “Our perfect veggie burger” a couple of weeks ago and I just finished making a third batch. Delicious! I decided to try this one and I LOVED IT! The lime-cilantro sauce is a perfect combination. Didn’t use the sunflower seeds but I may consider that next time. Either way, they turned out super yummy. Thanks Angela!
Oh, boy, these were delicious. I love the spices and the texture. My two year-old enjoyed them and my eight year-old asked when we’d have them again. My husband insisted on eating his on bread but to each his own, right?! So easy to make and the leftovers were great on top of a big salad the next day.
They sell yams in the Atlanta area at farmer’s markets/international markets. The starch content helps the burgers stick together without eggs. I substituted oat bran for the oats and paired the burgers with some juicy heirloom tomatoes from the local farmer.
My husband really loved the cilantro sauce.
Fantastic!!! The only regret was that I didn’t make more.