Let's talk vegetarian burgers for a minute, it's not like anything else big is happening today.
What royal wedding?
I've made lentil burgers before, and what I love about them is they are easy to make, filling, delicious, packed with protein AND so easy to customize to your (or your families) tastes.
Warning: This will be slightly green in color. If you have family or guests who may not be so enthusiastic about vegetarian fare (or for some reason might not like the idea of a greenish burger-go figure!) then you can distract them by adding a slice of cheese or giant lettuce garnish to it.
They are very delicious though, so do not be put off by the green color. Otherwise you will miss out. :)
Emma's Lentil Burgers, makes 8-10 medium size patties. These are great to freeze and save for another dinner night!
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cup dry lentils, 1/8 cup or more chopped green onion, 1/4 cup bread crumbs (two pieces of toast), 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, salt, pepper, and other spices you like (I used a bit of cayenne).
Cook the lentils according to the package directions. Usually it will give you a general range for cooking time based on how soft or firm you want the lentils to be. I stay on the firmer side when making burgers because the patties will stick together better that way.
In a food processor combine 80% of the cooked lentils and all the other ingredients and pulse until you have a cohesive mix. In a bowl stir in the remaining lentils and then form patties with your (clean) hands. I usually wrap them in plastic wrap as I go and freeze them for 20 minutes before cooking (helps them stick together). Plus then the rest you can leave in the freezer for another night.
Cook the patties in oil or butter over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite burger garnishes.
*If you cook in oil and don't add cheese (like I did) these are also vegan!
xo. Emma
loveee veggie burgers. The best ones I've made are Quinoa, Chickpea burgers. Delicious!!
Posted by: Malori | April 29, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Yum! I love homemade veggie burgers. I want one of these right now. Sounds so good.
Posted by: Caitlin | April 29, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Dear Emma,
Since I started reading your blog (about two weeks ago) I've been craving those damn peanut butter cupcakes!! I even bought a little secondhand Krups electric oven to be ready te bake them (my tiny appartment has no room for a gas oven). So there... I''ve gone great lenghts for those cupcakes. Please don't make me beg for the recipe... cause I will!!
PS: Love your blog. It's been sooo helpful to me. I'm a struggling vegetarian in Mexico City.
Posted by: Deidre | April 29, 2011 at 01:05 PM
Thanks for this recipe! I don't digest beans very well, but lentils are effortless! I am so happy to finally have a lentil burger recipe - I'll be making these for my meat-eating father tonight.
Posted by: Ashlae | April 29, 2011 at 01:31 PM
Deidre- you have gone to great lenghts! Goodness. :) email me: emma AT redvelvetart DOT com and i will tell you any recipe you like.
Posted by: emma | April 29, 2011 at 10:58 PM
okay, I am totally trying these!! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm giving up all red meat [but I loveee cheeseburgers, haha], so any substitute will be great! xx
Posted by: Mandy @ Miss Indie | May 1, 2011 at 01:38 PM
This recipe sounds amazing! I've never had a lentil burger before, but I definitely think I need to try one!
Posted by: Chelseabird | May 2, 2011 at 02:00 AM
Dear Emma,
Over the past, I'd say 24 hours, I have read your entire blog. no lie, start to finish. And I find your writing, honesty, and recipes totally inspiring. Especially all the stories about how blogging has changed your life and how scared you were to start doing it; It's good to see the human side behind food!
Sincerest thanks,
Melissa
Posted by: Melissa | May 2, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Melissa- you just made my day. thank you. :)
Posted by: emma | May 2, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Hi Emma!
I am a big fan of veggie burgers, but I never know what toppings to use! What sorts of things would you put on a lentil or bean burger?
Thanks!
Posted by: kaitlyn | May 2, 2011 at 12:20 PM
kaitlyn- cheese is a must. i also love bar-b-que sauce and mustard (but not together). a slice of grilled pineapple would be fancy. lettuce, tomato, coleslaw. anything that might come on a "regular" burger is cool. you could even top it with bacon if you are feeling ironic.
Posted by: emma | May 2, 2011 at 01:08 PM
Mmmm, I love lentil burgers. I can`t wait to try your recipe! Thanks!
Posted by: Katie | May 2, 2011 at 03:12 PM
Lentil burgers are great. Why are they green though. Why not use red or brown lentils? A teaspoon of soy sauce gives some extra flavour too. I like the cayenne pepper idea as well.
Posted by: Tim Barker | May 2, 2011 at 05:52 PM
I made these the other night and they were awesome! My husband is vegan and I'm always looking for recipes to surprise him with. I used Shake n' Bake instead of bread crumbs and they were sooo good. I love your blog!
Posted by: Erica F | May 3, 2011 at 09:22 PM
Tried this last night, improvising a bit with measurements because I never quite know what a cup is (I'm Italian)! I have also added grated halloumi cheese as I was worried it might not hold together with the lentils only!
Posted by: Giulia | May 5, 2011 at 06:43 AM
made these the other night & they were delicious. thanks for sharing so many recipes with us!
Posted by: erin | May 6, 2011 at 04:00 PM
sounds good :-)
would this work as "meat"balls?
Posted by: sara f | May 9, 2011 at 01:53 PM
I'm making these tomorrow night and I'm a little confused on the ingredients. Is it 1.5 tbsp each of the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and other spices? or do they all go together and make up the 1.5 tbsp?
Posted by: Amanda | June 22, 2011 at 10:44 PM
OH my Gad , I ate a big hamburger one hour ago, I am so satisfied , I think that I gonna explosion my stomach
Posted by: Buy Cialis | July 1, 2011 at 03:07 PM
made a big old batch (i'm never buying boca burgers again!)
i froze 'em, but they still get pretty mushy after re-heating. tips?
Posted by: erin | July 14, 2011 at 06:58 PM
Looks delicious, I'm a fanatic of good burgers, I'm always looking for places wit the best burgers.
Posted by: xl pharmacy | November 4, 2011 at 11:32 AM
I'm interested in such offer,The sound quality in these podcasts is really poor. I feel bad about complaining about something that is free, but I think it is important.
Posted by: Discount Timberland Shoes | November 20, 2011 at 03:10 AM
I've eaten better burguers in my life, but I must say this doesn't look bad... Actually I prefer the one on the picture instead of one made in Burguer King.
Posted by: Buy Cialis | November 21, 2011 at 09:27 AM
I made these today and they were divine! I used iceburg lettuce as the buns since I'm wheat free but didn't feel like making buns. Thanks so much! I shared this link on Pinterest :)
Posted by: ashley | February 1, 2012 at 10:07 PM
I paid extra 40 bucks for express shipping, and to get the product as quick as possible, but unfortunately I'll be waiting for it since last month and it is not here yet. I'm really angry with all this situation.
Posted by: xlpharmacy.com review | February 23, 2012 at 08:17 AM