lentil walnut veggie burgers

well, bar studying officially begins today, so i will keep this short!

you may be getting sick of all the coconut-centric recipes around here. somehow, i’m not. i like to think it’s in my dna as a maharashtrian. (along with putting chips on my sandwiches. every time. is this just an indian thing? or an everybody thing?) (shout out to my bff nirms who first opened my eyes to how much better food tastes with a little crunch!)

anyway, these veggie burgers are filling, they’re chock full of vegetables, and unlike many burger recipes, this one doesn’t require a food processor. also- it’s soy and dairy free!

there are a few different steps here, so it probably takes about an hour total to come together.

first get your lentils cooking. this takes about 40-45 minutes.

meanwhile, saute the vegetables: onions, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach.

before you add your cooked lentils to the vegetable mixture, you want to make sure you’ve thoroughly drained and pressed out all the water that the lentils have retained. this will help the burgers stick together and not fall apart mid-bite! similarly, the zucchini/mushrooms will release some water in the pan while they’re cooking, and if all the water doesn’t cook off, drain it out before combining it with the lentils.

form patties with your hands and pan fry them on a skillet for a few minutes until each side has browned.

enjoy with toasted bread (or an english muffin, as i did!) and a teeny bit of sriracha.

and don’t forget the chips!

Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers

2 c uncooked lentils

1 16 oz bag of organic spinach, chopped

1 container of mushrooms, diced

1 zucchini, peeled and shredded

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced

1/2 c crushed walnut pieces

1 heaping cup bread crumbs

1-1.5 t mustard

3 t vegetarian worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 t balsamic vinegar (optional)

salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder to taste

First cook the lentils: it’s best to soak them beforehand, but you can skip this step if you don’t have time. For 2 c of uncooked lentils, you want about 6 c of water. Let the lentils simmer for about 45 min, or until lentils are soft. You want to overcook them just a little, so that you can easily mash them.

Meanwhile, saute diced onions over a little oil. Once they begin to brown, add the shredded zucchini, carrots, and grated garlic. Saute for a minute or two.

Add diced mushrooms and let them cook down for a few minutes.

Add chopped spinach and let cook uncovered, so any water in the pan cooks off. If any water remains in the pan once the vegetables are done cooking, remove it.

Transfer this mixture to a bowl and add the cooked/drained lentils, along with breadcrumbs and the sauces/seasonings. Mix well with your hands. Make patties and pan fry for 5 minutes on each side until browned.