Lentil Burger Recipe (Vegan)
These easy to make lentil burgers are mostly whole food ingredients! This veggie burger has the most wonderful flavor and you don't need a food processor to make them. Each burger packs 11 grams of protein and has only 156 calories. They are dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan, naturally protein rich, and incredibly tasty!
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I love creating burger recipes and this is my new favorite. The inspiration for this veggie burger came from one day in the kitchen playing with sumac. If you’ve ever eaten at a Middle Eastern restaurant, you may have seen the dark red powder that dusts on many of their dishes. It’s sumac, and it has a tangy, lemony, apple cider vinegar flavor.
To be honest, I have only tried this spice on salads and bread, so it was an adventure to add it to patties; and it definitely works! It’s a spice every kitchen should have and I can't recommend it enough, especially if you enjoy Middle Eastern flavors. If you can't find sumac at your grocery store or spice house, I just did a quick search and it's available online.
Vegan Lentil Burger
I grew up eating homemade burgers. My mom was the master chef at home and she loved adding soy meat, onion and garlic to her homemade patties. Back then I'd get a small bowl to play chef along next to her and gosh I loved it so much! However, she would also add meat.
Since I no longer eat meat, I now love creating veggie burger recipes that can be as tasty as what my mom used to make. Lentil patties are my go to veggie burgers, especially during summer grilling season. I love this recipe because it's:
Healthier than most store bought veggie burgers and other recipes I've seen.
Easy to make with ingredients you probably already have (and if you don't, go and get them! Sumac, nutritional yeast and umami seasoning are perfect for plant-based recipes).
Mostly whole foods, which means they have minimal overly processed ingredients.
A fantastic source of protein.
Just so damn yummy!
Ingredients
Brown Lentils
GF Quick oats
Chickpea flour
Purple onion
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Nutritional yeast
Sumac
Umami seasoning (mushroom flavor)
Salt and pepper
Possible Variations and Tips
Lentils combine so well with the spices in this veggie burger recipe. You can use drained cooked black lentils, or even chickpeas instead of brown lentils. Just make sure you drain them properly and don’t over cook them. Canned lentils should work ok too.
Chickpea flour: Helps in getting that vegan lentil burgers texture and adds protein content as well. However, you can also use whole wheat, oat, or rice flour as a substitute for chickpea flour.
Saltiness: While I use 1/2 tsp of salt for this recipe, and Umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s, I recommend you taste the burgers without salt first, and then adjust the saltiness accordingly. Some Umami seasonings come with more salt than others, hence you will need to adjust the amount based on the type of Umami seasoning you use.
Quick oats add nutrition and help with the lentil mixture texture in these kinds of recipes, do not skip this ingredient. Make sure they are gluten free if you're gluten sensitive.
How to make Veggie Burgers with Lentils
One thing I like to highlight about this recipe is that you don't need a food processor. Anyone can make them, wherever you are. You need a good knife, a cutting board, and a medium bowl to combine all ingredients.
Chop the onion into small cubes and then sauté it in 1 tsp olive oil for a few minutes.
Next, mix everything in a bowl with your hands or a large wood spoon. I personally prefer my hands!
Form the patties and saute each side until golden; and enjoy!
You can cook and eat these burgers right away or leave them in the fridge for later. They are tasty cold, too.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for 6 -7 days.
Suggested Toppings
I went crazy with toppings and I wanted to add everything! It's a really good mix and you will love this combo. In fact, I recommend these toppings on burgers recipes in general: home made pesto (email me if you want the recipe!), fresh parsley, Violife cheese, fresh green chilies, chopped purple onion, and tomatoes. It creates the perfect flavor profile! Next time I will also add dijon mustard, sautéed mushrooms, and dill pickles. Vegetarian or not, this is definitely a great burger.
I didn’t make the burger bun, I just bought one at Whole Foods.
This Burger Is
Gluten free
Nut free
Egg-free
Dairy-free (without butter)
Soy free
Healthier than most store bought burgers
Easy to make
Packed with protein
Please let me know if you make it!! Rate it and comment below. I love to hear about your creations too and any alterations you might make to the ingredients.
Also, don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @veggielation and #veggielation because I would love to see your take on this recipe!
Lentil Burgers Recipe (Vegan)
These easy to make lentil burgers are mostly whole food ingredients! This veggie burger has the most wonderful flavor and you don't need a food processor to make them. Each burger packs 11 grams of protein and has only 156 calories. They are dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan, naturally protein rich, and incredibly tasty!
Ingredients (US Customary)
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown lentils
- 1/2 cup GF quick oats
- 1/2 medium size purple onion (3/4 cup onion, finely chopped)
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp grounded Zumac
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Umami seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
- Black pepper to taste
Ingredients (Metric)
- 270 grs cooked brown lentils
- 40 grs GF quick oats
- 1/2 medium size purple onion (3/4 cup onion, finely chopped)
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp grounded Zumac
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Umami seasoning
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the onion, warm up a saucepan with 1 tsp olive oil, and sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, including the onion and mix everything with your hands. The more you knead the mix, the smaller the lentil pieces become. I prefer this burger with chunks, if you don't, you can always pulse the mix a few times in the food processor.
- Form 4 medium sized patties (guessing this is perfect for 2 giant ones).
- Warm up your saucepan, add 1 tsp olive oil and at medium heat sauté the burgers for 2 - 2 ½ minutes, flip them, add the last tsp of olive oil, and sauté until golden.
- Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Prep time: to save time I tend to boil a bunch of lentils over the weekend and then I grab them for different recipes throughout the week. This considerably reduces the total time for meal prep.
Lentils: they combine so well with the spices on this veggie burger recipe, however, you can also use drained cooked black lentils, black beans, or even chickpeas instead of brown lentils. Just make sure you drain them properly and don’t over cook them. Canned lentils should work ok too.
Chickpea flour: it helps in getting that great texture and adds protein content as well. However, you can also use whole wheat, oat, or rice flour as a substitute for chickpea flour.
Saltiness: while I use 1/2 tsp of salt for this recipe, and Umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s, I recommend you taste the burgers without salt first, and then adjust the saltiness accordingly. Some Umami seasonings come with more salt than others, hence you will need to adjust the amount based on the type of Umami seasoning you use.
Quick oats: they add nutrition and help with the texture in these kinds of recipes, do not skip this ingredient for these veggie burgers. Make sure they are gluten free if you're gluten sensitive.
Nutritional content: it will vary depending on the type of flour and lentils you use. The listed nutritional facts do not include the bun or toppings so it's only an approximation.
Visit VeggiElation.com for more plant-based recipes that are both healthy and tasty!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 burger
Servings: 4
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories 156 | ||
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 1g | 2% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.18g | 1% | |
| Total Carbohydrates 27g | 11% | |
| Fiber 8g | 29% | |
| Sugar 2g | 5% | |
| Protein 11g | 14% | |
*Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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