BBQ Black Bean, Kale & Sweet Potato Burgers + A Giveaway!
Today is an exciting day, friends! Besides a whole lotta burger in yo’ face, I have a special treat for you.
Do you remember me mentioning a certain talented and hilarious blogger/cookbook author/photographer/writer some time ago? Well today I’m honored to be hosting a giveaway for her second and equally gorgeous new book, Let Them Eat Kale!
If you’re not already familiar with Julia’s blog, The Roasted Root, then you absolutely have to go check it out. She’s also a huge veggie-lover and her blog features easy, nutrient-rich recipes that are mostly gluten-free. Plus she always makes sure to serve them up with a side of knee-slapping humor which I personally love.
Her new book centers around the leafy green kale which is a nutrient-dense superfood that earns you up to 684% of your daily value of Vitamin K, 206% of Vitamin A, and 134% of Vitamin C per cup! It’s no wonder it helps keep your immune system so strong and prevents disease.
And nobody likes disease, amiright?
Julia not only offers 75 different gluten-free recipes featuring kale, but she also provides useful information regarding the health benefits, different methods for preparing and incorporating it into your cooking, as well as helpful gardening tips. It’s basically everything you need in life.
Here are a few of the recipes that I’m dying to try next:
- Peach and Kale Stem Smoothie <a great way to use leftover stems
- Massaged Kale Salad with Creamy Blueberry Vinaigrette <she had me at blueberry vinaigrette
- Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers <yes, yes and yes
- Crock Pot Moroccan Lentil Stew <healthy comfort food
- Green Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale Pesto <perfect for detoxing
- Roasted Beet, Walnut and Kale Pesto <I see a pizza in my future with this on top!
So y’all know I’m a sucker for veggie burgers and I couldn’t help myself when I laid eyes on the Barbeque Black Bean, Kale & Sweet Potato Burgers. I’ll be the first to admit that a common problem with veggie burgers is sometimes they don’t hold together very well but that’s definitely not the case with this recipe. They’re nice and firm, but not too dry, and the barbeque flavor tastes awesome with the black beans and sweet potato.
Plus with two cups of kale hidden inside, they have a better nutritional profile than most multivitamins. You can’t beat that with a stick!
Ingredients
2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 and 1/2 cups sweet potato, roasted and chopped/lightly mashed
2 cups kale leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon homemade vegan barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
Serving Suggestions:
toasted bun, red onion, avocado and barbeque sauce
Instructions
- Place one can of black beans in a food processor and pulse a few times to mash the beans but leave them slightly chunky. Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Form patties out of the veggie mixture. Place patties on the hot skillet and cook until the sides begin to firm up, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the patties and cook until the patty is firm when poked. Both sides of the patty should be crisp.
- Toast hamburger buns cut-side up in the oven on broil. Add your favorite toppings to the burger, such as avocado slices, tomato, red onion, etc.
Notes
Recipe by Julia Mueller from Let Them Eat Kale!

Now all you have to do to get your hands on a copy is leave me a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat kale!
Many thanks to Julia for letting me be a part of your celebratory release! It’s truly a beautiful book and I couldn’t be more happy for you!
My favorite way to eat kale is as kale chips! Though these burgers sure look darn delicious!
I think those burgers look incredible. I like to eat kale many ways. Perhaps my favorite is sauteed in a little coconut oil and thrown on pasta.
My favorite way to eat kale is to sauté it in coconut oil with garlic, salt, and pepper.
Oh, these burgers look yummy! I absolutely love Kale. My favorite way to eat it would be in huge kale salads, but I also love putting heaping handfuls in my green smoothies.
Oh these burgers look gooood! Im loving the sound of that kale stem smoothie too – great idea Julia (hopefully you see this comment… ;)
i love to make kale chips!
My favorite way to eat Kale is in smoothies! Get the day started with a nice green drink!
Yum yum! I love kale in smoothies with papaya and cucumber – getting greens in liquid form is ridiculously thrilling :)
Gahhhh, these look so good! I have a copy in the mail and it’s killing me waiting for it. If there’s one absolute way to make me want to stuff my face with a veggie burger, it’s putting a little BBQ sauce in it. And kale, obvs.
[I already have a copy, so not entering the contest. Just drooling over your photos]
My favourite way to eat kale is in smoothies. I like to save the stems to use in homemade veggie broth!
Would love to learn more about kale with this book.
Sadly, the only kale I’ve had is kale chips. This book would be perfect to help me try some more though!!
I love to blend it in with my smoothies!!
YUM. My favorite way to eat kale is cooked with a bit of olive oil. So simple, so goooood.
I like kale in smoothies, pizza, and steamed a little to make it less chewy. Also, kale chips are a favorite side of mine w/ burgers. These bean burgers look so tasty! I’m definitely going to have to try them.
Kale chips.
These burgers look delicious (and might be my new favorite way to eat kale)!! I love fresh kale chips!
These veg burgers look awesome!! I love sauteeing kale in rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce to top rice, and adding eggplant, tofu, mushrooms, etc. So delicious!
My Favorite Kale so far has been Kale salad with Roasted sweet potatoes, avocado and pine nuts. light lemon juice olive oil salt and pepper dressing. I could eat it for days.
Yummmeeeee! This looks awesome. While I’m not a vegetarian, I loveeeee my veggies and am always looking for fresh new way to prepare them, must pick up this book! Gorg pics!
Kale chips!!
I love kale in our sweet potato quesadillas!
Hooray for Julia’s book – that girl is seriously so talented! I have my giveaway coming up next week :) You really are the veggie burger queen – maybe YOU should think about a book dedicated to burgers!
Wow- those look amazing! I love eating kale in a smoothie!
Wahooooo!! Insert clapping hands emoji here! You make everything look so gorgeous, my dear! Thank you so much for your review, for your sweet words, and for trying the BBQ burgers! I’m giving you the biggest bear hug ever!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo
kale chips!
These burgers look awesome! I love that they have the BBQ in them!
Oh gosh, I love kale pretty much any way but probably most in salads!
Considering my husband does not value vegetables as I do, I chop my kale very fine and use it instead of parsley in my potato salad, meat loaf, chili, and other dishes. Unless kale is chopped finely or shredded, for me it is very hard to chew thoroughly, so my tactic works well for us.
Oooh fun! Those burgers look delicious! My favorite way to eat kale is this salad I came up with that combines kale with strawberries, goat cheese and almonds. It’s so good!
Wow, this burger looks fantastic. I love that it really looks like it is held together very well. I’ve tried a kale burger before, but I love these flavors :D
I love Kale sallad and also Kalesoup.
I love kale chips however my favourite at the moment is making kale pesto. Lemon juice, kale, garlic, olive oil and a chilli. This is delicious served on a pita with scrambled egg.
I just made my first ever veggie burger a few weeks ago and I’ve been making them like crazy ever since! I love the addition of the kale in this one, it goes so well with black beans and sweet potatoes! This is going to be the next veggie burger that comes out of my kitchen!
I love making kale chips
My favorite way to eat kale is either in a salad or a stir fry!!
I honestly just like sauteing it in some olive oil and chopped garlic and a little bit of salt. Yummy.
You know that you made a perfect veggie burger, right? Seriously, it’s got everything I want in a burger.
I had it in a smoothie this morning, but my true favorite is massaged- either with some good olive oil or avocado :)
Kale is best in a massaged kale salad with fresh lemon juice!
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My absolute favourite way to eat this delicious leafy green is to make chips. Dash of onion salt, garlic salt and Moroccan seasoning and bake on a single layer in a moderate oven for about 20 mins. Even my kids love them! Win!
Recipe looks great up to the “egg” ingredient for vegan burger .
This recipe is actually vegetarian (as you’ll find many of my older recipes are) but it can be made vegan by substituting a flax egg! :)
Can you use coconut or chick pea flour instead? Just trying to not go out and buy something.
I love kale many ways. I make a black bean/veggie burger and I always put kale in it. I blend it up pretty well all the time. I also love a garlic-y lemon kale salad (cut and massage kale well!) with roasted chick peas and tomatoes that have been sauteed. yummm! The give a way is probably over, right? It seems like lots of the posts were from 2014. Just found you and can’t wait to make this burger today. Thanks! I’ll rate it after.
Chickpea flour should work fine!