Lentil Burgers
This vegetarian builds dried brown or green lentils, carrot, finely grated and celery stalk, finely diced into a hearty meal you can have ready in about 70 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Rinse the lentils, place them in a saucepan with the water or vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer for about 25 minutes until very tender, and drain off any excess liquid.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, celery, grated carrot and garlic for 6 to 7 minutes until soft and any moisture has evaporated, then stir in the cumin and garlic salt.
- Mash about two-thirds of the cooked lentils in a bowl, then fold in the remaining whole lentils along with the sauteed vegetables for texture.
- Mix in the breadcrumbs and the beaten egg, season with salt and pepper, then let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the crumbs absorb moisture and it firms up.
- Shape the mixture into 4 evenly sized patties, pressing them firmly so they hold together; if the mixture feels too wet, work in a little more breadcrumb.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the patties for about 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp and heated through.
- Serve the burgers on toasted buns with your favorite toppings such as lettuce, tomato and a garlicky yogurt or tahini sauce.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Saucepan · Pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Lentil Burgers take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Lentil Burgers vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Lentil Burgers is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Lentil Burger with pesto and hot chilli sauce - Lentil As Anything.jpg by avlxyz, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.