Bake, microwave, or boil your sweet potato until tender.
Remove/discard the skin and, using a food processor or blender, puree the sweet potato until smooth but thick.
Scoop out the sweet potato and add to a large mixing bowl.
Next rain and rinse your chickpeas, then add to the food processor. Pulse just a few times to break up the beans, still leaving lots of great texture. Add to the sweet potato.
Next pulse one and a half cups of oats in your processor until flour-like [it doesn't have to be super fine by any means; just ground] then add to the sweet potato mixture.
Next saute your onion, bell pepper, and celery in approx 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat.
After about 7 minutes or so, add garlic and continue to saute until the veggies are translucent and tender.
Once your veggies are ready, transfer to the bowl with the sweet potato and add 1 egg [or flax egg] to the bowl along with cajun seasoning blend, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Stir to incorporate and divide burger mixture into 4-6 balls. I wound up making 5. The sizing seemed right for my buns.
Cup each ball in your hands and squeeze, pressing it into a compact disc. Think of it as stress-relief!
Form into into patties, cover, and refrigerate for approx. 30 minutes to set the burgers.
Feel free to prep these overnight for the following day.
Ready to eat? Pour a teeny bit of oil in a skillet, heat to high, and cook for a few minutes on each side until you're left with a golden crust and a warm center. Cooking times will vary a bit depending on the size of your burgers and type of pan/skillet used, so aim for a crispy outside with a warm tender center. If you don't get to enjoy them while they're hot, pop cooked veggie burgers in the oven or toaster over for a little and they're crisp up to perfection! Easy peasy!
Cook only a few at a time, trying not to overcrowd the skillet.
While they cook, whisk together your aioli.
Pile a lightly toasted bun high with greens and your fresh-from-the-skillet burger, top it off with a generous helping of aioli and dig in!
Notes
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Since we all add different toppings and buns/wraps/etc... the values below are for the veggie burger patties themselves. Adjust as needed and enjoy!