An easy lentil veggie burger recipe that uses up any veggies you have hanging around. It’s flavorful, has a great texture and can even be made gluten-free!
This recipe was originally published on 11/25/13
I’m a sucker for a good burger and have been making my own since the beginning. I could never find a store bought burger I loved. These easy veggie burgers are the perfect recipe to help clean out the fridge with those leftover veggies!
Lentil Veggie Burger
I love the versatility of lentils and how much the give health wise. Not only are they filled with protein, but they have great iron content and have loads of fiber. They work so well in veggie burger recipes because their texture is amazing and I love the flavor.
Vegan veggie burgers are one of my favorite things to make, in fact I have a cookbook filled with them! It’s called Vegan Burgers and Burritos and we still use it weekly.
What is the best veggie burger?
The thing to keep in mind when making a veggie burger is the texture. You don’t want them too mushy, so you need a good balance of moisture and dryness. The best veggie burgers have the following characteristics:
- aren’t overly mushy
- have loads of flavor
- sneak in some veggies
- add good protein into the meal
- are easy to make
- can be frozen
- are sturdy enough so they don’t fall apart
How do you make veggie burgers that don’t fall apart?
When a veggie burger falls apart it means that there is not enough structure. It is either overly wet or overly dry. The balance is what you need to achieve in order to get a steady burger.
Ingredients that add moisture to a veggie burger, like beans, veggies and liquid of any kind, need to be balanced out by ingredients that absorb that liquid, like breadcrumbs, cornmeal and flour.
That is the first thing I do when creating a veggie burger. Once I have that down, I add all my seasonings and spices. Keep in mind that some flavor will be found in liquid form so make sure to add those when balancing out the moisture content.
What can be used in place of eggs as a binder?
Making sure you have a binder also keeps your veggie burgers in tact. Eggs are definitely not needed. Here are some of my favorite veggie burger binders:
- beans
- potato
- breadcrumbs
- oats
- flour
- flax egg (the combination of ground flaxseed and water)
- chia egg (the combination of ground flaxseed and water)
What’s in a veggie burger?
You can really make a veggie burger in so many ways. But there are some basics that I usually turn to:
- beans (any kind work great)
- potato
- cooked veggies
- breadcrumbs
- oats
- almond flour
- seeds for texture
- rice
How to Make a Lentil Veggie Burger
The best thing about veggie burgers is how easy the come together! Here are the few steps these lentil veggie burger need:
- Gather the veggies you need to use up and the other ingredients.
- Pulse everything in a food processor.
- Shape into patties and cook.
- Build with all the things.
- Serve!
Veggies that work best
I love that these veggie burgers use up leftovers. There is nothing worse to me than throwing away rotten veggies! While almost any veggie will work great, here are the ones I usually use along with recipes that could have leftovers or you could make extra to use for these:
- Zucchini/squash: Zucchini Ravioli, Butternut Squash Soup, Kale and Butternut Squash Salad
- Mushrooms: Vegan Cheesesteak Sandwich, Vegan Carnitas, Barley Mushroom Stew
- Spinach: Sautéed Spinach, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Spinach Tomato Pasta
- Cauliflower: Broccoli Cauliflower Tots, Enchilada Casserole
- Roasted veggie mix: Roasted Veggie Tacos, Vegetable Lasagna, Veggie and Bean Soup
Serving suggestions
You don’t have to keep veggie burgers to the traditional bun. You can think out of the bun to change them up so you don’t get bored! Here are some of my favorite ways to use these lentil veggie burgers:
- lettuce “buns”- I like to criss cross sturdy romaine leaves to make buns when I’m not feeling like too much bread
- crumbled over salad
- in a wrap
- in a lettuce cup/taco
- pretzel buns
- cut into strips and dip into sauces
- crumbled into pasta
Also don’t forget that these go amazing with my baked oven fries!
Veggie burger sauces
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I am sauce obsessed. Like, I probably need an intervention but don’t want an intervention kind of obsessed. So I have just a few, ok a boatload, of sauces on this site. Here are a few that I would pick to drown these burgers in:
How to store veggie burgers
This lentil veggie burger recipe is a perfect one to make in bulk and store for future use. I make two to three batches to freeze and use on those crazy nights. Which is basically almost every night, so this happens often.
Usually the first day I make these, I make enough for two nights. I cook the batch we will be eating that night, and save the uncooked burgers in an airtight container separated by pieces of parchment paper to cook within a few days.
Then I make another batch or two to freeze. I shape them, then wrap in parchment (and separate each layer with parchment too). Then I wrap that in foil and store in a ziploc freezer bag or airtight glass container.
I like to write the date I froze them on too. When I am ready to eat them, we defrost to room temperature then cook as directed. If they fall apart at all, all you need to do is reshape a bit.
Easy Lentil Veggie Burger Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked lentils , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked veggies of choice , can be leftovers from another night
- 1 cup rolled oats , gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup almond flour (see note)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
- burger buns , gluten free if needed
- lettuce
- pickles
- red onion
- tomato
- ketchup
- mustard
- mayo , egg free to keep vegan
- cheese , dairy free to keep vegan
- baked Oven Fries
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get a crumbly mixture . Make sure it is still chunky and not a mushy paste.
- You can also do this with your hands if your veggies are chopped into small pieces and you don't mind a chunkier texture.
- Allow mixture to set 5-10 minutes so the oats soak in some of the liquid (you can also do this after you shape into patties). This will help with the texture of the burgers, the more you allow the oats to soak, they less mushy texture you will get. I use this time to clean up.
- Shape into 6 patties, then cook in a pan on the stove top over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side (depending on stove). Make sure to keep the pan covered to help the burger cook throughout and achieve the best texture possible. This helps prevent a mushy burger. Check every few minutes to prevent burning, they should be slightly browned when ready.
- Allow the burgers to cool a bit to further help set them into a non mushy consistency.
- Serve on buns with any toppings you love!
Notes
- For nut free, sub more oats for the almond flour
- Most veggies will work great, my usuals are zucchini/squash, spinach, cauliflower, mushrooms and onion.
- Allowing the mixture to sit for a bit before cooking helps the oats soak up the liquid and this prevents a mushy burger.
- Cooking the burger covered lets it cook throughout which helps with consistency as well.
- Finally allowing the burger to cool a bit will also help the texture.
- Nutrition facts are for the burger patty only.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Julie Ferrara says
Looks so yum!
I always like to read some of the comments for tips before trying a new recipe and have noticed the mention of a few ingredients not listed, am i missing something or has the recipe been updated? Thank you.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Julie! Yes, this recipe has been updated and made better!
Michelle M says
So yummy!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Michelle!
Nan says
I have everything but the quinoa flour. Is this an important ingredient or can I sub more of something else? Love your recipes, thanks! 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Nan! Thanks so much! You can definitely sub another flour or use more almond meal! Let me know how it works!
CAROLEENA says
Quinoa flour ??? Is that from an old recipe ??? It doesn’t seem to be mention in this one. Mildly confusing…
veggiesdontbite says
Yes, I have adapted the recipe to make it better and easier!
Stephanie says
Hi there! I’m looking for recipes I can prepare and freeze to leave at my boyfriends house for when I visiting. These burgers look like a great option. Do they really freeze well? Would I just defrost and cook as normal? Thanks so much, looking to stick his freezer a bit for me as he is a darn carnivore 😉
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Stephanie! Yes! These burgers freeze great. I usually have some in my freezer to pull out for a quick dinner. If you go to my website under “From the kitchen” on my menu up top and find the category “freezer friendly” I have a lot of things that freeze great. Let me know if I can help out!
ieveggies says
Reblogged this on Incredible-Edible-Veggies.
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you!
lannaemilli says
Can we replace the canned black beans for other bean? Like white beans, ou use just lentils (2 cups for example)? 🙂
I am not a good cooker but I will try this one, I’m so curious about it!
veggiesdontbite says
Absolutely! Use whatever bean you like. Let me know how they turn out! Thanks for following!
angie says
Do u cook your oats or add them as dry?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Angie! I add them dry. If you let the mixture sit a bit after you add everything, the oats absorb some liquid and soften, giving the burgers a great texture! Thanks for following and let me know if you have any other questions!
jsagum says
These look so good! Does it really not matter which veggies you use? Are there any certain veggies that you find yourself using often in these or that you think work particularly well?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much! No, it doesn’t matter too much what you use. Some veggies have more water than others so that’s why I say to add more oats if needed. But I’d stick with veggies that don’t have a strong taste. I like to use zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and carrots most of the time but I throw others in if I have extra from things like my roasted veggies and pasta recipe! That’s the great part, you can purée and freeze whatever you have for these veggie burgers! Let me know how they work out!
jsagum says
These look so good! Does it really not matter what veggies you use in them? Are there any certain veggies you find yourself using often in these or that you think work particularly well?
Megan says
I have been wanting to make a new veggie burger, thanks for posting this! Your blog has great recipes!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Megan! I hope you enjoy the burger. Let me know if you have any questions!
veggiesdontbite says
So glad you liked them all Erin! Thanks so much for the link and kind words. The burgers were meant for big families with all that recipe makes, ha!
Vee says
Hi, I’m excited to try this tonight! Quick question, I’m a little confused by the ‘flax eggs’…is it just the flax seed mixed with water, then, or are there any eggs added to the mixture? Sorry, I’m a newbie 😉
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Vee! Don’t be sorry at all, a few years ago I had never even heard of flax let alone flax eggs! Yes flax eggs are purely the flaxseed with the water. When flax is allowed to rest in water, it gelatinizes kind of like the consistency of eggs. It helps bind things together as eggs do. I only use this in my cooking and baking, no eggs at all. Chia seeds also do the same in water but I prefer the taste of flax. And please remember that if you aren’t concerned about the burgers being fully vegan you can always use regular eggs. Hope this helps! Let me know how they turn out!
Erin says
Going to try these this week! A couple questions, what is the nutritional yeast for? And what is the white sauce you put on top of the burger? Looks yummy!
veggiesdontbite says
Erin, the nutritional yeast is exactly as it sounds, packed with nutrition and especially good for those of us on vegan diets because it has vitamin b12 which is not found in plant based foods. It is not an active yeast though. It also is known to have a “cheesy” flavor but it is a flavor you have to get used to if it is the main ingredient in something. I use it for the added nutrition and hints of the flavor. You definitely can leave it out or text me and I can give you a bit of mine to try!
The white sauce is Bitchin Sauce, my all time favorite dip! Super amazing and healthy. I get mine at Jimbos but you can get it at the farmers market and have even heard Albertsons now has it. I have some of that too if you want to come by for a taste!
Erica says
I made them tonight for dinner and they were delicious! The oven fries were yummy too! Thanks for the inspiration, Soph!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy it all turned out so good! Look for my new twist for these burgers coming later this month!
Erin Hedrick says
Gorgeous pictures – this looks delicious!!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! This is my family’s favorite recipe of mine!