Lentil Walnut Burgers

Okay, so putting walnuts in a burger might seem strange, but the walnuts add a great, hearty flavor and texture that makes these burgers feel super meaty. (It works so well that I use walnuts in my Vegan Meatballs, too!) These burgers also just have a little bit of sautéed, diced mushrooms in it to add the umami flavor that veggie burgers are often missing. If you don’t like mushrooms because of texture issues, I highly recommend trying them diced very finely in this burger—all the earthy flavor with none of the spongey, sliminess that turn-off mushroom-haters.

Favorite toppings: caramelized onions, blue cheese, or any of your classic burger toppings

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Walnuts? In a veggie burger? Yup, they add a great nutty, hearty flavor that makes these burgers taste remarkable close to the “real” thing!

4.43 from 38 votes

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Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 burgers

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Cassie Johnston

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked green lentils divided
• ⅔ cups toasted walnuts see recipe notes
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces button or portabella mushrooms roughly chopped
• 2 eggs see notes for plant-based substitute
• 1-2 cups breadcrumbs divided (see notes for gluten-free alternative)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
• In the basin of a food processor, combine 2 cups of the lentils, the walnuts, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, worcestershire sauce, and mushrooms. Pulse until the mixture forms a smooth, thick paste—scraping the sides as necessary. Don't have a food processor? Check the recipe notes for an alternative method. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
• Add in the remaining lentils, the eggs and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, mix well. Continue adding breadcrumbs, ¼ cup at a time, until the mixture can easily be formed into patties.
• Form the mixture into six large patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the burgers begin to brown, feel firm, and start to crack on top. Serve immediately or freeze.
• To freeze, let burgers cool completely, then freeze flat on a baking sheet until solid, about 3 hours. Transfer to a labeled zip-top freezer bag. Will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Defrost before heating in skillet, on grill, or in the oven.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes for six, large, "meaty" burgers—want smaller or thinner burgers? You'll easily be able to get 8-10 burgs from each batch.

Cook your lentils in veggie broth for even more flavor.

Short on time? Check the frozen foods section of your grocery store for pre-cooked lentils.

To toast the walnuts, preheat oven to 400° then spread walnuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.

If you have some Montreal Steak Seasoning kicking around, a teaspoon added to this mixture is crazy good!

A food processor will result in the best burgers, but if you don't have one, try this method: use a potato masher to mash 2 cups of the cooked lentils until they form a fine paste. Finely chop the walnuts, the onions, garlic, and the mushrooms and mix with the lentils. Mix together with the salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Then proceed with the recipe at step three.

Both flax and chia eggs work in place of the eggs in this recipe. Just mix together two tablespoons of either ground flaxseed or chia seeds with six tablespoons of warm water. Let sit five minutes to thicken, then use in place of the two eggs in the recipe.

Panko breadcrumbs work great in this recipe, but I frequently use oat breadcrumbs, too. Just pulse old fashioned/rolled oats in the food processor until the size/texture of breadcrumbs. Use cup-for-cup in this recipe. Make sure to use gluten-free oats if avoiding gluten.

Burgers too sticky to form? Lots of variables can cause burgers to be too sticky (bigger eggs, juicier veggies, even higher humidity). If your burgers are too sticky, try chilling the mixture for 20-30 minutes before forming. You can also form the burgers with damp hands, or, as a last resort, add more breadcrumbs (if you add too much breadcrumbs, you'll end up with dry, flavorless burgers).

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 6mg

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