BLACK BEAN & LENTIL BURGERS
I do eat some meat, but over the years I’ve started adding plant based proteins such as beans and lentils to my daily diet. I have found that I feel better in general, if I eat smaller amounts of meat but I also just love the flavors of a really good plant based burger. My mom actually gave me this recipe but I’ve altered it slightly. I have also tried other types of plant based burgers but this is definitely one of my favorite.
This recipe makes at least 8 medium sized burgers, but I usually double the recipe & freeze the leftovers. Some of my favorite toppings for this burger is spinach, sliced tomatoes and my homemade basil parsley pesto. My husband also likes to add cheese, bacon & sometimes an overeasy egg. Honestly I usually do add a small amount of his favorite toppings onto mine which makes for a rather large but delicious sandwich.
If you have not tried bean burgers in the past, don’t expect the texture and flavor to taste like meat. Just think of it as a new type of sandwich or food that is healthy but also has some very delicious flavors. This has been a favorite weeknight dinner for us, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we have. CHEERS TO A HAPPY & HEALTHY DAY!
BLACK BEAN & LENTIL BURGERS
Ingredients
- 1-2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 Small Sweet Onion
- 1 Medium Red Pepper Chopped
- 4 Medium Garlic cloves Minced
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
- 1.5 Cups Black Beans Cooked
- 1 Cup Brown Lentils Cooked Cooked risotto rice also works really well, but increases carbs.
- 1 TBSP Ketchup Optional
- 1/2 Cup Bread crumbs or 1/2 cup almond flour for gluten free option
Instructions
- If you are using fresh fresh beans & lentils soak overnight. Rinse before cooking the beans & lentils. Cook legumes until it's falling apart, usually takes 30-45min. Drain well.
- Meanwhile saute onions & red pepper using olive oil till both are soft. Than add minced garlic and spices, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Place all ingredients in the food processor accept for the bread crumbs.
- Blend until all veggies, beans & lentils are in chopped in small pieces.
- Last add bread crumbs to bean/lentil mixture. If you have time refrigerate it for a couple hours, this helps to make the mixture more firm & make nicer patties as seen in the picture.
- A lot of other black bean burgers have rice in it instead of the lentils which helps to hold the burgers together even more than the lentils. I replaced the rice with lentils because I wanted to up the protein content.
- I use a medium ice cream scoop & make it heaping full. Place it in the pan and press down slightly into a medium sized patty. I use a cast iron pan because it helps give a nice crispiness to the outside of the burgers.
- In the picture below, I sautéed a portobello mushroom with some olive oil & sprinkled it with salt & pepper. It was quite delicious with the basil pesto, guacamole, bacon & cheese.
- If you want to keep this burger vegan or dairy free, simply omit the cheese and bacon & add other veggie toppings such as fresh lettuce, onions, guacamole & portobello mushrooms.
Notes
