I had a craving for a burger burger. Not a beet burger, or a falafel burger, or a black bean burger, or a curried eggplant burger–just a plain old burger that I could put on a bun with ketchup and pickles and not have the flavors clash or my daughter give me that look that says, “Okay, what does this one taste like.” The kind that tastes like a burger. A veggie burger, that is. So if you’ve also been craving a regular–but delicious–burger that contains no soy or nuts or gluten and that you can make with ingredients that you can pronounce (and that you probably have in your kitchen right this minute), you’ve come to the right place.
I love these burgers’ lightly herbal flavor all on its own, but I couldn’t resist serving them with a little chipotle mayo just for a bit of kick. Chipotle mayo is the easiest thing in the world to make if you have my tofu-cashew mayo on hand and a can of chipotles or some frozen chipotle cubes. Whenever I open a can of chipotles in adobo sauce, I puree whatever I don’t use in the blender and then freeze it in an ice cube tray; then I pop the cubes out into a freezer bag to keep frozen until I need them. To make chipotle mayo, I defrost one cube (two tablespoons pureed chipotles) and add mayo to taste–in my case, I used about 1/2 cup of mayo for a pretty spicy sauce.
I served the burgers on buns with all the usual accompaniments along with steamed broccoli and some oven fries. (I followed this hash brown recipe but cut Yukon gold potatoes into fry shapes and baked them for about 30 minutes). Leftovers were great for lunch the next day served bun-less atop lettuce and tomato with a little of the chipotle mayo, and if you can’t eat 6 of them within a week, they should freeze well. If you’re wondering how kid-friendly they are, I can tell you that my daughter liked them more than frozen burgers from the grocery store, which, for a teenager, is high praise indeed.
Savory Lentil-Mushroom Burgers
These burgers come together quickly if you have cooked lentils on-hand. I cooked 1 1/2 cups of lentils with a little dried thyme and black pepper in 3 cups water for about 30 minutes and had enough lentils for this recipe and about a cup leftover.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 medium onion
- 6 ounces mushrooms, washed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups cooked lentils (green or brown), well drained
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats (certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or wheat-free tamari (omit for soy-free)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Generous grating black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the chia seeds and warm water in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the onion finely. Place the mushrooms into the food processor and pulse until they are finely minced. Mince the garlic.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown, adding a splash of water if they begin to stick. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic and another splash of water. Cover and cook until the mushrooms soften (about 2-3 minutes), stirring often.
- When the mushrooms have softened, transfer them to the food processor and add the lentils. Pulse until the lentils are just combined with the mushrooms. Add the chia seed mixture and all remaining ingredients and pulse to combine well. It’s okay if a few lentils remain whole, but the mixture should be more sticky than crumbly.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl and set aside for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or with parchment paper.
- Shape the burger mixture into 6 patties, each about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Place them on the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Since ovens can vary, check them after 25 minutes to make sure they are firm in the middle but not burning and give extra time if necessary.
- Use a spatula to remove the burgers from the baking sheet. Serve at once or refrigerate for later use.
Notes
You can omit the starch, but the burgers may not hold together quite as well.
Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 40 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Nutrition (per serving, with salt): 130 calories, 8 calories from fat, <1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 320.2mg sodium, 431mg potassium, 23.5g carbohydrates, 7g fiber, 3g sugar, 8.2g protein, 3.8 points.
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{ 104 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you need the chia seeds? I don’t have any on hand but have all other ingredients!
Would flax work?
The chia seeds act as a bit of a binder and add moisture. If you have ground flax seed, you could use it instead. If not, I would leave both the seeds and the water out completely.
Hmm, i didnt have chia seeds and didnt add any cornstarch and mixed everything at the end without food processor (i just added mushrooms and other ingredients to the pot where lentils were cooking and pressed everything with a spoon till the mixture became more or less homogen). They were still very fine and didnt fall apart. My omnivorous flatmate also liked them.
Could you use chana dal for these?
Chana dal is going to be more moist and wet than brown lentils. You would probably need to add more oatmeal and maybe more starch.
Great idea for the chipotle peppers as I never use them all up and end up throwing them out after two weeks
I love lentils and mushrooms so this simple recipe will be made this weekend! Will update with results! Thank you for recipe!
This is dinner tonight, seriously. I have been craving something hearty & meaty, & I just returned from the grocery store, saddened at the lack of variety of veggie burgers (only vegan ones in my small town are Boca) & astonished at how expensive. These are much better, cheaper, & look mouthwatering.
(I love how you add chia–what a great addition!)
Brilliant idea on the chipotles! I normally freeze my leftovers too but never in ice cube trays. I can’t wait to make these burgers which will yield three meals in my house. Bargain!
Hi
After making them, can you freeze them and then pull them out and barbecue them? Thanks.
I have all those ingredients in my kitchen right now and I will be making these for dinner this week for sure.
Gorgeous photography! You definitely know what you are doing! The burger looks delicious!
I’ve been wanting to try a new burger recipe than used something other than black beans or chickpeas . . . why didn’t I think of lentils! Do you think the oatmeal is necessary though?
The oatmeal is pretty important. If you don’t use it, you’ll need cooked rice or another grain, and I’m not sure how that will affect the moisture balance.
I cant stand mushrooms.. would other veg work? Maybe courgettes?
Oh my, Susan, you’ve done it again! (Blown my mouth-mind, that is!) Those are some good lookin’ buns! Erm, hamburger buns. I bet you made them yourself!
This looks delicious! I’m doing this tomorrow.
I almost bought mushrooms today. Should have listened to that soft voice.
I am so looking forward to trying these. I love making burgers and freezing the leftovers for a quick meal when I don’t want to cook.
I love your red-bean burgers. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/01/red-bean-chipotle-burgers.html. How do they compare?
Love your recipes!!!
Laina
This looks fabulous! I have everything but green or brown lentils. Will red lentils work?
Red lentils will work, but you’ll need to play with the amounts of oats and starch because they’re wetter than brown lentils.
Coincidentally, creating a mushroom-lentil burger was at the top of my to-do list but you beat me to it. This looks great! I’m so glad you incorporated chia seeds into the recipe. Won’t the oats hold the burger together?
I don’t think the chia seeds really do much to hold it together. I like using them because I believe they help hold in moisture so that the burgers don’t get too dry in the oven. So they’re sort of an oil substitute here.
HI Susan,
These sound great! I have really been wanting to eat brown lentils in any form. And also enjoying burgers wrapped in big romaine leavese with whatever other”works” I want to put on them. Plus, I’ve been gathering mushrooms. So I have a feeling these are going to go right along with my other favorite burger recipes from you. Thanks!
xo
moonwatcher
I’m excited about the burgers, for sure…but the bun looks incredible. Did you make them yourself? If yes, can you share the recipe? If no, where did they come from?
Thanks!
~Anne
Wish I had a recipe for you, but I bought the bun at The Fresh Market.
Are the chia seeds to help bind the mixture?
Can i substitute flax seeds?
Thanks,
love your site.
julie
I a vegie burger extremely similar to this last night!
So delicious ! I added some peas to the mix and they added a touch of sweetness. I love sweet & savory mixed
Love the idea for freezing leftover chipotles! I always end up throwing them away because I can’t use them fast enough.
This looks awesome. Thank you for adding this Soy, Nut and Gluten free recipe. I will try that out today:)
This recipe really caught my attention and since I had all the ingredients I made it today. I just love it! I accidently put in 2 tablespoons chia seeds instead of 2 tsp. So I suppose the nutritional info is a bit different. The texture and taste was so good, I’m not sure I want to drop the amount of chia seeds. I used some green salsa for a topping and had it over lettuce to avoid the wheat in the bun. A real winner!
These were amazing! I have a toddler and still managed to make them, that is how easy they are. And they taste great! Definitely one for the repetoire! My daughter, my omni husband and I all loved them- thank you so much for sharing these Susan! This is why we love your blog!
Those look fantastic! I know what you mean about just wanting a plain, old burger with ketchup…nothing too fancy. I’ll have to try these sometime!
I had some mushrooms to use up, so made this tonight. I made the lentils this morning, and was reminded how delicious they are and easy to cook! When I started putting it all together, it was looking like a big project (and I was regretting it), but it really was easy and fast. And they are absolutely delicious! I served them with Food For Life Ezekiel Sesame Burger Buns – I buy them by the case from Azure Standard.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for the tip about the buns. I’ll have to look into them.
The Ezeikiel buns are great be they sesame or the sprouted wheat ones. And no oil in them. Check freezer section at whole foods.
oh man! I came here looking for the cabbage soup and as soon as I saw the photo of that burger I wanted it! My son is coming home with his friends this weekend from college so this is on the menu!-thanks! and btw !!!!
Once my lentils are done sprouting I will be making this asap!! looks phenomenal
YUM! This sounds awesome! I am always looking for healthy energy packed recipes, as well as meals that will satisfy the carnivore that I am married to and our carno-veggie kids.
This will be a hit. Thanks for sharing this idea.
I also blog about recipes and the healthy vegetarian lifestyles at http://thelivelyvegetarian.blogspot.com/ if you are interested.
Thanks again!
Made these today. Awesome flavor. Mine came out a bit wet because I think I didn’t drain my lentils well enough. I just added more oats. They baked up well anyway. Will make them again for sure. Thanks.
I’ve made other types of veggie burgers and found that they worked better pan fried rather than baked. Does it still hold together quite well when it is baked?
This one holds together perfectly baked. I can’t imagine it could hold together any better fried. In fact, because it would have to be turned over in a frying pan, it would probably be more likely to have problems if pan fried.
Ok, thanks.
I made these tonight, they turned out tasty but mushy. I had to add more oatmeal and they were still mushy. I will try again though. Thanks for the recipe!!
Sorry about that! It may have to do with how mushy the lentils are cooked (I stopped cooking mine as soon as they were just tender) and how drained they were. I put mine in a strainer and let them drip for a few minutes before measuring them.
wowee…these look so superyumful! And it’s National Mushroom Month so yes, it’s mushroom burgerpalooza time! Thank you for sharing the recipe and your frozen chipotle tip…cheers!
Yummy burgers! We thought they tasted like a pizza burger, so will try marinara sauce as a topping next time. My daughter loves these-and she doesn’t care for mushrooms. What she doesn’t know didn’t hurt her!
help please–i would like vegan fatfree recipes for treating acid reflux i have been suffering with this 24-7 for 2 months am waiting to get in to see the specillist–and i dont know what to cook anymore that isnt going to get my gurd started.tell me where to go to get these recipes please and thank you
penny
@Penny, I suffer with GERD as well. Eat is easy to convert any of the recipes on this site to GERD friendly recipes with just a few adjustments. You should check out the book Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure. It gives you a great list of bad foods and a list of good foods. For me, I had to give up tomatoes, all citrus fruits, and the only tea I can drink is caffeine free chamomile. The book also has a two week regimen that helps you get back on track. Once the two weeks is over, you can start adding foods and see which ones actually give you trouble.
Hi Susan, I made these last night and they were amazing!!! Thanks for another great recipe!
P.s. I see some people had problems with the burgers being too mushy. I cooked 1 cup dry green lentils with 2 cups water until all the water was absorbed – about 30 minutes. It turned out perfectly, no draining required.
These look so completely amazing!!!!
I made these, following the recipe pretty closely. However I think I failed to drain the lentils (or perhaps was over-generous with the mushrooms or cooked them too long), which made for a gooey mix. I also don’t have a food processor, and had to settle with mashing the lentils with a spoon. Amazingly, they formed into patties and baked up pretty nicely. I think I will increase the oatmeal, as someone already suggested, if it happens with the next batch. This recipe served as a great excuse to “invest” in smoked paprika! Didn’t have a real distinctive taste, so I might increase it a bit next time. It smells amazing! Thanks again, Susan, for another winning recipe!
These sound really good. We have also been in the mood for veggie burgers lately. I have tried some of the store bought variety, which are “ok” but just ok. I”d love to find a recipe that tastes good and holds together so you can pick it up and eat it like a sandwich.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yum. I have everything to make these later this week, and they look so so good.
Susan – I’ve only got red lentils – what do you think?
Wow, I just learned about chia seeds the other night on the show Chopped (I am addicted to that show) it was one of the secret ingredients. Not sure I can get these local here (small town in Vermont). Do you have a source where you order these from online that you can recommend?
I buy them from Amazon. In order to get free shipping, I but them in bulk and keep them in the freezer.
Oh my goodness, these are good! I had one for dinner, straight out of the oven with all of the usual fixin’s and it was delicious. I’ve just eaten one cold and that was gorgeous too.
I made mine with mung beans and added a few extra tablespoons of oats due to the extra moisture. I also used ground flax rather than the chia seeds as I can’t get hold of them here.
I can’t wait to have another one tomorrow!
Thanks Susan, I’m new to your website and you are making it even easier for me to eat healthily.
Thanks so much for the mini crustless tofu quiche recipe. They are delicious! I haven’t been able to eat eggs for a while and these fit the bill!
looks AMAZING!!
Hi,
the recipes say serves 2/6 etc but how much is 1 person’s serving/portion. I’m confused , pls let me know.
Thanks
This recipe makes 6 burgers, so a serving is 1 burger. In any other recipe, you just divide the amount it makes by the number of servings.
Having a food scale also helps with serving sizes. Target (CA Bay Area) has a good selection and sometimes they’re on sale.
Hi!
I want to make them sooo badly.
Alas, lentil is not something common where I live. Even if I find it, the price for a kilogram of lentil is like 10-15$
Is there any substitution for lentil? I read that split pea is a good one, but then again.. It is the same price as lentil.
I don’t mind a slight difference in the taste. As long as it’s healthy, I’m up for that.
Thanks:$
I made the burgers last night and they were crispy on the outside but mushy on the inside. I’m going to try again and add more oatmeal as suggested, but how much? What consistency should I be aiming for before I make the patties? Btw, I just love your blog. Thanks.
I can’t wait to make this!! The veggie burgers in my freezer have parmesian cheese in them so I wont touch ‘em, but I’ve been craving an old fashioned ‘burger’ for weeks.
Do you think an extra teaspoon or two of chiaseeds would work to replace the cornstarch? I think I’m all out :c
Awesome, Susan. I love making creative burgers, too, but agree that sometimes you just want a “burger burger”!
I have been absolutely ADORING lentils and mushrooms recently. Thank you SO much for this amazing recipe!
I made these the other day. My kids really liked them. We ate 3 that evening and froze the other 3. They reheated well and were slightly improved after freezing because they were firmer in the middle. They also are VERY filling, which is good to fill kids up but bad if you want them to eat a few other things on their plate. Also they were really easy to make.
Lentil burger patties are my favorite… and chickpea!
Using the original recipe, the patties were pretty soft, so I tried making them with dried onion instead of fresh onion. That made a big difference. I rarely use dried onion, but will for this recipe in the future.
I made these tonight. Very nice flavor. But how come mine didn’t turn out like yours–you know, nice and firm(-looking, at least)?
For one, I definitely should’ve drained the lentils before I processed them (Initially, I thought the water had boiled out of them, then I realized there was more still at the bottom. Plus, the recipe didn’t say explicitly to drain, so I just dumped them in. :/).
With that, I also wonder if I should’ve upped the oats to maybe 1/2 cup to get them a bit firmer. I’ll probably try that my second go-round.
Regardless, very good recipe. I’ll make sure to keep those adjustments in mind next time.
Thanks very much, Susan!
Sorry about that Esther, but I did say the lentils should be “well drained”! Making burgers is always a delicate balance between having enough liquid so that they don’t dry out but not having too much. Your instincts about adding more oats to firm them when they seem too wet are right on.
You know what, Susan: I had another the following day, and they were not squishy at all, held together like a meat hamburger. Perhaps they just needed time to settle and for the water to evaporate. (And, I did *not* decide to add additional oats. I trusted your judgment.)
Of course, *now* I see your note at the end of the ingredients line for the lentils. I was looking within the instructions themselves. My apologies.
So, yes, fantastic recipe, as usual.
Thanks very much!
These were great! I served them on lettuce with grilled jalapenos, a tomato slice and a side of sweet potato oven fries. This recipe is a keeper. It took awhile to make because I didn’t have cooked lentils on hand but my pressure cooked them in 5 minutes and were done by the time I had prepared the other ingredients. Will definately use this recipe in my line up!
I have just found your website – it is exactly what I have been looking for – I am a vegetarian with gallstones and therefore, having to follow a low fat diet which has finally made me decide to go vegan. Your website is perfect for me and your recipes seem straightforward in comparison to other vegan recipes and they are also very appealing. Thank you!
delicious, delicious..DELICIOUS!!!!
just saying!
Susan–I finally got around to making these delicious burgers. They are so tasty. I also made the Scalloped Potatoes. What a delicious dinner. Thanks again for so many tasty recipes.
These look delicious! I realized how long I have been reading your blog when you mentioned that E is a teenager. Wasn’t she just 8?!!!
Sorry, I have a newbie question. Are the oats cooked (at step 3)? Alternatively, can cooked steel cut oats be substituted ?
do you have a recipe for a vegetarian meatloaf that can be sliced and doesn’t fall apart? nothing i try is working. thanks
Shirley, have you tried Dreena’s No-fu Love Loaf? It didn’t fall apart for me. Here’s the link: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2012/04/dreenas-no-fu-love-loaf.html
Made this today and it was wonderful!! Super easy and super tasty and easy to adjust to what I had in my fridge. I used enoki and field mushrooms and still turned out great. I served it with pickled onions and a creamy cashew coriander ‘mayo’ and salad. Thanks for sharing this great recipe
Hey just wondering if I could use sprouted lentils rather than cooked? I have some sprouted lentils ready to go but I am worried about the moisture, but cooked lentils are pretty wet anyway. Opinion?
Great recipe! This had TONS of great flavor and was a nice change-up from our usual veggie burger. I was a bit nervous that these wouln’t set well as the “batter” was quite soft — however, they baked up great and I was even able to give them a flip after 25 minutes baking time (and I gave them another 10 minutes on the other side). The inside was still quite soft but it was nice to get them onto the bun without them falling apart! Even my 2 1/2 year old approved
I made this tonight for my boyfriend and his friend and it was super delicious! Both omnivorous men were very pleased and went in for seconds! (: I was vegetarian for a year and vegan for a short amount of time but gave up on both because I was bored with eating just veggies and beans! But this recipe was so good it makes me want to give it another go!
I used liquid smoke and regular paprika since I didn’t have smoked paprika and it was great!
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
I’m so glad you all liked it! I’m always interesting in hearing what omnivores think about my dishes, so I’m just thrilled to hear about your results. Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
No matter how long I search the internet, or how many times I flip through my cook books, I find myself always returning to your site! This time I was looking for a decent meatball recipe. This recipe converted to meatballs very nicely and froze impeccably after cooking. Most of the recipes for gluten-free, vegan meatballs on the internet seem to contain tofu or have large amounts of fat. I found a few that did not, but when I have made them they did not come out as they recipe promised, leading me to believe that the author probably never even made them with the listed ingredients, or even fibbed about the final product.
But not you! Your recipes consistently “hit,” and always come out they way you say they will! And since you’ve included Maria’s blog on your site I am able to use her tips to make almost everything gluten free without ruining it! I can pretty much live off your site and if you ever publish a cookbook, I will buy copies for everyone I know! I am so grateful to you both!
This is our second time making these..and this time we’re doubling the recipe!!! I’ve been making vegan burgers well over a year and this is my favorite one. We could not believe how nicely they puffed up in the oven. Their size and consistency is pretty similar to a meat burger…more so than the black bean burgers we have been eating. My husband is making a more concerted effort to be a vegan…and he loves these! Way to go Susan! I’m on your site several times a day! Thanks for your amazing recipies!
Hi Susan – I’d love to try this, but I don’t have a food processor. What’s your advice?
That was my first ever veggie burger and it was absolutely the most delicious burger I can remember eating! The recipe is absolutely fantastic, full of flavor, and extremely healthy. Thank you so much for posting this. It was absolutely incredible! I can’t praise this enough. It was amazing!
The patties came out pretty gooey and it took me almost a full hour to bake. They were still pretty gooey after that, but it was just perfect anyway. OMG! Thank you! I just may become a full fledged vegan!
I made these and they were still pretty gooey in the middle after 30 minutes. I took one out for me and squished the rest down some more and gave them 5 more minutes. I had mine on romaine lettuce with some vegenaise and ketchup and pickles. It looked horrible but it was really yummy.
Oh and I’m trying ETL so I used the tamari but not the extra salt.
Where can I get this bread? I will try the burger, it looks delicious but the bread is amazing! I am 1/2 Italian and bread is very important to me! LOL. Thank you
I’m afraid I bought the bread in a local store. :-/
These are So, SO good! And I don’t even like mushrooms
. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
These taste great, but I made the mistake of thinking parchment paper and wax paper were the same thing, and my burgers stuck to the wax paper, so that was very annoying and wasteful. I should have just oiled the pan with olive oil like I always do!
The bun looks super fresh. Sorry but I love the carbs.
I just made these for the first time, and they turned out pretty good, except I couldn’t figure out why they were a little soggy…until I realized that I went over the ingredients like 5 times and somehow every time I managed to miss where it says “1/3 c. old fashioned oats”!! Silly! I was thinking as I was forming the patties, “Man, this is goopey. Maybe I should add some flour or vital wheat gluten…or a little of both?” ha ha.
I’ll definitely try these again and make them the right way.
How do you reheat them after you freeze or refrigerate them? In a skillet?
Thanks!
Oh, that’s too bad! To reheat, I’d probably stick them in the oven, but a skillet should do, too. Hope you have better results next time.
Susan – Recently started Dr. Fuhrman Eat to Live and in searching for something came across your blog. It has become my go to and so appreciate the time and passion that goes into it. Because I am the only one in the house eating vegetarian/vegan (whatever it is…still learning) I usually cook two meals but tonight I am a one meal dad. I have a goal for 1 vegan night a week for the next 6 then increasing to 2 etc. These look absolutely fabulous and am hoping they become a standard for burger night which happens to be Tuesday in our house!!!! Mushrooms are one thing that my kids despise (or so they think) so we will see if they go to bed hungry or not. Thanks again!!! (PS – love your cashew mayo…can’t wait to try the freeze the chipotle trick)
Just made these tonight but had to wing the recipe a little bit; halved it and used tofu instead of mushrooms since I was out (figured the spongy texture would work), and made up for it with some vegan beef seasoning. Probably not what your recipe was but still satisfied the craving that I had! Used a tomato basil vegan mayo on top with walnuts for crunch and it was sooooooo good!
I saw another recipe that used pinto beans or kidney beans mashed. Could you use them instead of lintel’s? My husband just really loves kidney beans.
I’m sure kidney beans will work fine. Also, take a look at my Red Bean-Chipotle Burgers.
I have now made this recipe (with a few tweaks to work with what I have) twice because I like it so much! It also inspired me to do a chicken patty twist, using brown lentils and spices for chicken like thyme, sage, rosemary! Going to make a BBQ ranch chicken sandwich tonight… can’t wait
Thanks for the great recipe!
I have them in the oven right now! Can’t wait to taste them!