You don’t need beef to make a delicious burger you don’t even need to use meat! Make a satisfying burger with lentils and add some homemade guacamole for a unique sandwich that’ll earn lots of rave reviews.
The perfect veggie burger is all about finding a good “glue” to keep everything together in this case, a good combo of egg, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Make sure to refrigerate the burgers for a bit before cooking them, and you’ll have yourself the perfect consistency.
Lentil Burgers with Guacamole
(makes 4 burgers or 8 mini burgers)
Ingredients:
For the patties:
- 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/8 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the (optional) guacamole, or use store-bought:
- 3 avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1 lime, juiced, or 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
For the sandwich:
- Ciabatta bread or buns of your choice, enough for at least four sandwiches
- Shredded lettuce
Directions:
- After cooking the lentils, either mash them by hand or pulse them in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Then, put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the onion, egg, bell pepper, and breadcrumbs to the lentils and mix together. Once well-combined, add the cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Divide the mixture into four or eight equal-sized portions (whatever you’d prefer) and roll them into balls, and then flatten them into patties. Refrigerate patties for at least an hour.
- In the meantime, make the guacamole. Put the avocado in a medium bowl and toss with the lime juice so it’s evenly coated. Drain the lime juice out of the bowl and reserve it. Then add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and mash everything together. Once it’s a good consistency, fold in the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Finish by adding the reserved lime juice and let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- Spread the cornmeal into a wide, shallow bowl and dredge the patties in the cornmeal so they are evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil’s hot enough, add the patties and cook them in the skillet until browned about 5 minutes on each side.
- Spread the guacamole on the bottom bun, and top with the lentil burger. Add some shredded lettuce to the top of the burger (and any other toppings you’d like).
- Enjoy!
Burger recipe adapted from All Recipes
Guacamole recipe adapted from Food Network