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Halloumi and Sweet Potato Burgers

3.8

(5)

A thick sweet potato patty on a sesame seed bun with a disc of seared halloumi cheese and lettuce.
Photo by Joff Lee

If you don’t want to fry the burgers, you can cook them on a lightly oiled griddle pan or bake them in the oven. They can also be served in warmed pita bread.

Tip

If the burger mixture seems a bit soft and loose, stir in a little more flour to bind it.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour 15 minutes, includes chilling

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
175g (6oz) kale, shredded
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
8 spring scallions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chile, deseeded and diced
A handful of cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
50g (2oz or generous 1/4 cup) sesame seeds
250g (9oz) halloumi, sliced
4 whole-grain burger buns
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and mashed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Store-bought chile jam, to serve

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook the sweet potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 15 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool before roughly crushing with a potato masher – don’t mash to a purée.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook the kale in a pan of boiling water for about 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and dry with kitchen paper. Cool, then chop it coarsely.

    Step 3

    Heat the olive oil in a small skillet set over a medium heat and cook the scallions, garlic, and chile for 2–3 minutes without coloring. Stir in the cilantro.

    Step 4

    Spoon into a large bowl, then mix in the sweet potato, kale and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four portions and shape each one into a burger. Coat in the sesame seeds, then cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm.

    Step 5

    Heat a little oil in a non-stick skillet over a low to medium heat and cook the burgers for 3–4 minutes each side until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

    Step 6

    Dry-fry or griddle the halloumi over a medium heat for about 2 minutes each side until crisp and golden brown.

    Step 7

    Lightly toast the burger buns and spread the bases with the mashed avocado. Top with the halloumi, burgers and some chile jam. Cover with the bun tops and serve.

The cover of the cookbooks featuring planks of grilled halloumi cheese on a blue background.
From The Halloumi Cookbook © 2019 by Heather Thomas. Reprinted with permission by HarperCollins Publishers Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.

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