Lentil Burgers
Serves 4
These lentil burgers can be made as easily as meat burgers and some people I have cooked these for have even thought they were meat burgers! If you want to spice them up you can add a teaspoon of curry powder to give them a kick.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 30-40 minutes
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 carrot, grated
- Sprig of parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Cracked pepper to taste
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 cup fresh whole-meal breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- Flour for dusting
Soak the lentils in water for several hours or overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly in a sieve. Place in a large saucepan and cover with 3 times the water. Add the bay leaf and cook until tender. Drain and discard bay leaf.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the grated carrot, herbs and seasoning and sauté briefly.
In a large bowl beat the eggs and add the lentils, cooked onions and remaining ingredients, except the flour. Combine adding extra breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet. Shape into patties with wet hands and dust with flour.
Barbeque or cook in a frying-pan over a moderate heat until golden on both sides.
To make fresh breadcrumbs
Blitz slices of semi stale whole-meal bread in a food processor until crumbed. Use breadcrumbs fresh or store in a bag in the freezer removing quantities as needed. 1 cup = 2-3 slices of bread. To dry breadcrumbs for coating patties or chicken pieces lightly toast in a 150C oven until golden, shaking as needed for even cooking.