Hey hey! It’s Friday before the long weekend, I hope everyone is as excited as I am! Today we’re sharing a vegetarian burger recipe that is sturdy enough to be grilled on a bbq, pan fried for quick preparation or baked, whatever your preference. A perfect recipe for a long weekend!
As some of you may know, Canada’s food guide just previewed their new recommendations for healthy eating and plant based proteins are being emphasized. This steers away from the predominantly meat based guide. I think this is so great, as countless studies have shown that we are not consuming enough plant based proteins. And from what I see in the grocery stores, most Newfoundlander’s eat a lot of meat and some of that is processed meat (Hello, Bologna). While baked beans have always been a staple in Newfoundland, they are high in sugar. Thus, we are here to provide another recipe that utilizes legumes and that is tasty to boot! Plus, dried beans and lentils are dirt cheap, wayyyyyy cheaper than meat.
I have made these gluten free and not gluten free and both times they were delicious. They also happen to be vegan, which is a bonus for many people. Don’t expect the texture of a meat based burger, cause that it is not; however, as mentioned earlier they are sturdy enough for a bbq, which I think is awesome! Oh, and they also freeze really well, so wrap any extras up and toss in the freezer for another night. Can’t get much better that than, can you?
For toppings, try bbq sauce if grilling. If pan frying/baking, we love these with goat cheese and a partridgeberry ketchup we got at the Bonavista Social Club earlier this summer. We plan on trying to make our own rendition when partridgeberries are ripe (won’t be long now!!). I’ve also made a garlic and parsley aioli that paired well with the burgers. The options are limitless, so definitely make it your own.
Beluga lentils are not always easy to get in Newfoundland, so I ordered these black beluga lentils from Amazon. The recipe does use a food processor in the instructions, but I’ve made notes on how to do without one, including purchasing oat flour
Vegetarian Portobello Mushroom Lentil Burgers
Ingredients
- 5 Portobello Mushroom Caps
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 large Red Onion
- 2 tsp Fresh Thyme leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup beluga Lentils dry
- 2 TBSP Parsley dry or fresh
- 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds divided
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce tamari for gluten free
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs Regular or Gluten Free
- 1 1/4 cup Oatmeal or 1 cup ground
- 3 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Pepper to taste to taste
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- Burger buns optional
- Goats cheese optional
- Partridgeberry ketchup optional
- Spinach optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and bring a pot of water to boil. Add the beluga lentils to the pot of water and cook until just tender, but not mushy, around 15 minutes, drain and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion and mushroom in large chunks, add to your food processor and pulse until chopped into small bits, add to your pan. Cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, then add your minced garlic and thyme. Fry until everything is soft and starting to brown. Remove from heat and add the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.
- Place the oatmeal in your food processor and blend until it forms a flour, add to a large bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, chia seeds, salt, and pepper into the oatmeal flour. Pulse half the sunflower seeds and all of the beluga lentils in the food porcessor, leaving it chunky. Add this and the fried vegetables to the bowl and using a wooden spoon, mix until completely combined.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 8 patties. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat and fry the patties in a frying pan until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes per side. Alternatively, you can grill them on a bbq or bake in the oven, flipping halfway. Freeze extra patties for a quick meal another night!
Notes
The recipe is credited to Nicole and Katherine – The former owner of SaltwaterDaughter.com.
