Lentil Walnut Burgers

Directions

1. Wash and sort lentils. In a large pot, add lentils and water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

2. Simmer until lentils are soft (usually between 30-60 minutes, depending on your lentils).

3. While lentils cook, finely chop the onions, garlic, mushrooms and spinach. Grind or finely chop walnuts. Set all these things aside.

4. In a large pan, heat oil over a medium flame and sauté the onions until soft. Add garlic, mushrooms, and spinach. Sauté until everything is tender.

5. When lentils are cooked, mash them in a large bowl with vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.

6. Add sautéed veggies to the lentil mixture along with the walnuts and Bread Crumbs*. Mix well.

7. Chill the lentil mixture for at least 1 hour.

8. When the lentil mixture is sufficiently chilled, form it into small patties. If the patties are too crumbly and won’t hold together, add a beaten egg to the mixture.

9. Fry the patties in a skillet with a bit of oil. If you are added an egg, keep the heat low enough to ensure the patties cook all the way through before they burn on the outside. The patties will be soft, but shouldn’t be gooey in the middle. Another option is to bake the patties on high, in a well oiled baking dish.

                                                              

Notes: These flavorful and delicious little burgers can be enjoyed by meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. Because they take some time to make, you may want to double the batch. They make tasty leftovers.

 

Variations: This recipe is quite versatile. You can serve these burgers as on a bun** with fixings and cheese. They are also delicious served plain with a salad, or topped with a yogurt sauce. Alternately, you can form balls rather than patties; fry in a bit of oil and use them as you would meat balls in a spaghetti sauce.

 

Substitutions: Fresh mushrooms/Canned mushrooms (rinse before using).

 References: *See the Bread Crumbs recipe. **See the Hamburger Buns recipe