Why choose a veggie burger over a meat burger?
There are a lot of reasons why someone would choose to eat a veggie burger over a meat burger. Some people can't digest red meat very well and others feel that eating too much red meat can be harmful to your health. I like to approach food with the old saying "everything in moderation." I love red meat but I also appreciate the benefits of taking a break from it. Instead of forgoing burgers altogether, I love to make veggie burgers to satiate the craving.
Why lentils?
As you'll see in this recipe, the main ingredient to these burgers is lentils. The recipe calls for smashing up ¾ of the lentils into a paste-like consistency and reserving the other ¼ as regular unsmashed lentils. The reason for this is to keep the consistency of the burgers a little chunky and not completely smooth. The same technique is applied for a great veggie burger recipe I posted a while back- Black Bean Burgers. Lentils create a great texture for these burgers and allows them to hold together while you grill them.
What are some great toppings if I don't like the tahini slaw?
If tahini slaw is not your thing, feel free to top these burgers with all of the traditional burger toppings like: raw or grilled onions, bacon, cheese, pickles, catsup and mustard, or thousand island dressing. Any of these will be great on the lentil burgers.
If you love BBQ food check out these other recipes on my blog:
Recipe Video:
Lentil Burger with Tahini Slaw
Ingredients
For Lentil Burgers
- 1.5 cups green lentils cooked
- ½ cup carrot grated
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil for cooking
- burger buns optional
For Tahini Slaw
- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- ½ cups carrots shredded
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp tahini
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For Tahini Slaw
- Combine all ingredients for Tahini Slaw in a large mixing bowl and mis well. Set aside to let marinate while you make the burgers.
For Lentil Burgers
- In a large mixing bowl, add in 1 cup of the cooked lentils and mash well (using a fork, mallet or bottom of a mug).
- Stir in the remaining lentils and the remaining lentil burger ingredients (excluding the grapeseed oil) and mix well. Form mixture into about 4 patties.
- Heat a pan or skillet to medium high heat and add in grapeseed oil. Cook each patty until golden brown on each side (approx. 4 minutes on each side depending on thickness).
- Serve patties on burger buns with tahini slaw mixture.
I am def going to try your tahini slaw