Meatless Lentil Burgers
Fiber-packed lentils lend this meatless burger nutritional pizzazz. They also hold their own next to meatier varieties, since lentils form a complete protein when paired with a whole grain (in this case, brown rice).
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Serves: 6
Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 1/4 cup leeks, finely diced
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 5 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp unsalted tomato paste
- 1 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup cooked long-grain brown rice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook lentils according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, mix garlic, onion, celery, leeks, flaxseed, Dijon, tomato paste and spices. When lentils are cooked, mash them with the back of a fork, leaving some whole. Add mashed lentils and rice to bowl. Mix all ingredients together.
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium-high. While oil is heating, form lentil-rice mixture into 6 lentil patties. Add them to pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until light brown. Transfer patties to prepared baking sheet and cook in oven for 15 minutes to warm through. Serve with a side salad and topped with diced tomatoes and avocado, if desired.
NOTE:
There is no need to sandwich these burgers between a bun since you’ll be consuming a healthy amount of fiber thanks to the brown rice and lentils.
Nutrients per 5-oz patty: Calories: 220, Total Fat: 6 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 34 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 9 g, Sodium: 135 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg