Chloe Rambo | Crumbs
Chloe Rambo | Crumbs
As a six, going-on-seven-year vegetarian, finding veggie alternatives has been a struggle. Finding a great veggie burger can be an especially challenging feat — some frozen veggie brands just taste like cardboard while others simply crumble and fall apart in the middle of your bun. Here’s a great lentil-based recipe for veggie-heads and carnivores alike. With savory vegetables and walnuts, these bad boys are filling enough to satisfy even the biggest burger-lover. Break out the French fries and ketchup, because you’ve got yourself a delicious vegetarian meal that is definitely a step up from the drive-thru.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups dry lentils — any kind
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a bit extra for sautéing the patties
- 1 cup minced onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 10 large button mushrooms, swabbed clean and rinsed
- ½ cup very finely minced walnuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Black pepper
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, wheat germ or rolled oats
Steps
- Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and boil. After reaching a boil, bring heat down to simmer and cover saucepan with a lid. Cook until water has been absorbed and lentils are soft — takes roughly 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add vinegar and mash lentils well.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Place onion, garlic, mushrooms, walnuts, salt, pepper and mustard in the skillet and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the cooked vegetables and bread crumbs to the bowl of lentils. Mix well. Let mixture chill for 30 minutes to an hour before forming patties.
- For the patties, a 4-inch diameter works well. Heat a pinch of olive oil in a skillet, and sauté patties until heated through and crispy on both sides. You can also broil the patties for 10 to 12 minutes in the stove, if you’d rather. Enjoy.
Got leftover patties? They’re great when added to an omelet, broken up into chili, sprinkled over a pizza, or even tossed in spaghetti. Plus, they freeze well for three weeks.