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a straight on shot of one of the lentil burgers in a whole grain bun with tomatoes, caramelized onion and mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato

Hearty Beluga Lentil Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Allison
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Hearty beluga lentil burgers: Beluga (also know as black) lentils play a starring role in these hearty veggie burgers, along with walnuts, Kalamata olives, and rosemary. Topped with sun-dried tomato aioli, these burgers are a flavour bomb. Serve with crispy oven fries or a green salad!

Ingredients

Scale

Black Lentil Walnut Burgers

  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 3 cups cooked black (beluga) lentils (see note for cooking instructions)
  • 3/4 cup oat flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
  • 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (vegan brands I like are Wizards and Whole Foods 365)
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil or parsley, finely chopped

Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced into rounds
  • Big pinch fine sea salt
  • 4 heaping cups sliced cremini or white button mushrooms (from about 20 medium mushrooms- scrub with a damp cloth to remove dirt and debris before slicing)

Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (vegan, if desired- I like Chosen Foods or Primal Kitchen)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

For Serving

  • Buns
  • Sliced tomato
  • Lettuce

 

Instructions

  1. Place the walnuts in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade and grind into a coarse meal. Transfer into a large bowl. Place the cooked lentils in the food processor and pulse several times, until crumbly. Stop before they become a paste. Transfer into the bowl with the walnuts. Add the oat flour, ground flax, and chopped olives.
  2. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, five minutes. Add the salt, pepper, chili flakes, rosemary, and thyme, followed by the tamari, balsamic, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for a few more minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Finally, stir in the fresh basil or parsley. Stir the contents of the skillet into the lentil mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line one very large or two medium baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Form the lentil mixture into 8 large patties (or any size you like). Be sure to pack each patty firmly, as this helps ensure that the burgers hold together optimally. Place them on the baking sheet with some space in between each one so that they cook evenly.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until they are firm, crispy around the edges, and they slide off of the parchment easily without leaving any residue.
  6. Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions and mushrooms: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes. During this time, the onions will soften, brown, and begin to caramelize. If they start to stick to the pan, reduce the heat slightly and add a small amount of water. After fifteen minutes, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has evaporated off of the mushrooms and they, too, are browned. This takes an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  7. To make the sun-dried tomato aioli, place the mayonnaise, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and lemon in a small food processor or blender. If using a food processor, process until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. If using a blender, start on low speed and gradually increase to high until mostly smooth. Alternatively, just mix up the aioli in a bowl- it will just have more texture due to little pieces of minced sun-dried tomatoes.
  8. Finally, place the lentil burgers on buns and top with the caramelized onions and mushrooms and aioli, plus any other fixings you like, such as tomato and lettuce.

Notes

To get three cups of cooked lentils, you’ll need 1 1/4 cups of dried lentils. Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, or until very tender but not falling apart. Drain through a fine mesh sieve and proceed with the recipe.

If you can’t find black lentils, French green lentils or brown lentils will work in their place.

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: North American

Keywords: black lentil burger

Find it online: https://upbeetkitchen.com/2021/04/14/hearty-beluga-lentil-burgers-with-sun-dried-tomato-aioli/