Spicy Lentil Burgers

One of my favorite meals by far has always been the classic "burger and fries." Well, that and pizza. It's amazing that both are so simple to VEGANIZE!

Since I have school and don't always come home with time to cook and experiment in the kitchen, I usually eat the Dr. Praeger's Black Bean Quinoa burgers.

Now I'm a huge fan of eating nutritiously dense foods, and I was saddened by the fact that my go to black bean burger only provided around 3% of my daily nutrients (this is in reference to nutritional calculations in chronometer). After realizing this, I made a commitment to work to create a more nutritious packed burger that tastes excellent!

This recipe ended up being a success on the first try, not just in taste, but in its overall nutrient content to!

Compared to the nutrient content of the Dr.Praeger's Black Bean Quinoa recipe (left), my lentil burgers (right) came out with a whopping 7.5 grams of protein per serving! I was mainly going for a higher protein burger, so this made me very happy! Not to mention some of the HUGE differences in the vitamin content!

These lentil burgers nourish your body with 37% of the DV for Vitamin A, nearly 50% of the DV for Vitamin C, and even provide your body with some iron and calcium as well!

After plugging the lentil burger recipe into chronometer, I found that the burger alone counted for 24% of my daily nutrient requirement. Compared to the 3% provided by the store bought veggie burger, I'd call this recipe a win!

I'm so stoked and excited to share this recipe with you all! Feel free to do some experimenting of your own! I find that this recipe is always the best with fries, but I also LOVE taking it to school as a sandwich made with hummus, tomatoes, and spinach!

Spicy Lentil Burger Recipe

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hr. + 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 2 tbsp, nutritional yeast

• 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. paprika

• dash of salt+pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped carrot

• 1 chopped medium red bell pepper

• 1/2 cup canned corn

• 1 garlic clove

• 3/4 cup chopped red onion

For topping:

• burger bun ( I use this brand)

• dill pickles

• mustard

• tomatoes

• red onion

• spinach

Procedure

1. In a food processor, blend the rolled oats until it forms a flour like consistency.

2. Add in the spices, and blend until well combined.

3. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. On the side, saute the red onion and garlic in a frying pan on medium high heat, using water as necessary. Cook until the red onion is translucent, then set aside.

5. Add the red bell pepper and chopped carrot to a food processor and pulse until well combined (***make sure not to pulse them for too long, as the mixture can become liquidy!).

6. Transfer pulsed vegetable mixture to a small bowl.

7. Add the lentils to the food processor and pulse ( I recommend leaving some whole lentils in the mixture just to create a better consistency).

8. Combine all the ingredients into the large bowl with the oat flour + spice mixture.

9. Add in the corn and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

10. Using your hands. make patty shapes with the mixture and place on a plate.

11. Cover the burger patties and let them chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (***this step is ESSENTIAL in helping to hold the burgers together and keep them from falling apart!!***).

12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

13. Once the burger patties are done chilling, place them on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes.

14. Let the patties cool and serve with all your favorite sides and toppings!

I hope you give this burger recipe a try, and more importantly, ENJOY it! If you try it be sure to tag me on instagram and let me know what you think! :)