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    Home » Recipes » Sandwiches

    By Carol Published: May 23, 2017 Modified: Mar 2, 2022 | This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

    Jump to Recipe
    4.67 from 3 votes
    1 hour 15 minutes
    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Long Pin

    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce are hearty enough for a carnivore!  You may even need a knife!

    Photo of Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki on black plate with knife through burger.

    Move over meat!  There's a new burger in town!

    These spicy, Mediterranean-inspired Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers make a healthful and satisfying meatless option for flame-kissed meals all summer long.

    Brown lentils are packed with fiber, protein and iron along with lots of other great stuff.  Walnuts add additional texture and contain healthful omega fatty acids.  Can you say that about a beef burger?

    TABLE OF CONTENTS - Click the Icon to Find the Info You Need FAST!

    • Tips for cooking with lentils:
    • Tips for making Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers:
    • More vegetarian inspiration you'll love!
    • Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce
      • Equipment
      • Ingredients  1x2x3x
        • Burgers
        • Tzatziki Sauce
      • Instructions 
        • Burgers
        • Tzatziki
      • Notes
      • Nutrition

    Tips for cooking with lentils:

    Before preparing any lentil dish, it's a really good idea to look them over carefully for any debris.  Here's what I do:

    • A white paper plate works perfectly for this process.  Place a small amount--approximately ¼ cup-- on the plate
    • Spread them out to better examine them and remove any funky things you see such as stones, shriveled lentils or stem pieces.
    • The paper plate makes it easy to then "funnel" the lentils into a sieve for a good rinse before cooking.
    • If the lentils you're using are older, they're going to take longer to cook because they have lost moisture.  Yes, even something like a dried lentil is going to still have some moisture in it.

    Tips for making Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers:

    • After everything is cooked and combined, I use an immersion blender to puree the lentil and vegetable mixture rather than place it in a food processor.  I have better control over how much to puree the mixture AND I don't have to wash out my food processor before making the Avocado Tzatziki Sauce.

    Process photo of lentil and walnut mixture being cooked in stainless steel pan.

    • Form into burgers.  Most homemade vegetarian burgers are rather fragile in an uncooked state.

    Photo of lentil and walnut burgers before being cooked.

    • I've made these Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers several times over the years and they can be done on a conventional outdoor grill.  However, you'll need a vegetable grill rack and you'll need to be very careful handling them.
    • Be sure to use indirect heat because of the nuts.  Burned nuts are awful!
    • I cheat a little bit to get the gorgeous grill marks you see here.  I bake them first, then pop them onto a grill pan.

    Photo of burger on bun after being grilled.

    • And then this Avocado Tzatziki Sauce!  It's so cool and refreshing with these spicy Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers!

    Photo of tzatziki sauce in glass bowl.

    Close-up photo of Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki with tzatziki dripping down side of burger.

    Serve with fresh, crunchy lettuce, tomato, red onion, broccoli sprouts, more avocado and oh my!  You'll need a knife to eat this one!

    Photo of Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce on black plate.

    More vegetarian inspiration you'll love!

    • Zucchini, Red Lentil and Spinach Fritters with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
    • Greek Quinoa Cakes with Tzatziki
    • Zucchini Ricotta Fritters
    • Whole Grain Zucchini Jalapeno Fritters with Cilantro–Lime Sour Cream
    • Zucchini Corn Cakes with Basil Buttermilk Sauce
    • For more great veggie burger recipes, check out my latest Community Table Post - 10 Vegetarian Burgers Fit For a Carnivore!
    • I've got lots more vegetarian meals so be sure to visit my special Vegetarian and Meatless Collection!
    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki

    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

    4.67 from 3 votes
    By: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen
    Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce are hearty enough for a carnivore! You may even need a knife!
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE SAVE RECIPE Saved!
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Sandwiches
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 6
    Calories 394 kcal

    Equipment

    • Wusthof Chef Knife
    • Cutting Board
    • Saucepan
    • Breville Immersion Blender
    • Rimmed Sheet Pan
    • Grill Pan

    Ingredients
      

    Burgers

    • 1 cup brown lentils
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 medium onion - finely chopped
    • 2 medium carrots - grated
    • ½ large red bell pepper - finely chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or to taste
    • ⅔ cup finely chopped walnuts
    • ½ cup panko - regular or gluten-free
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • Cooking spray
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
    • Whole grain hamburger buns
    • Red lettuce
    • Red onion slices
    • Tomato slices
    • Broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
    • Avocado slices

    Tzatziki Sauce

    • 2 cups Greek yogurt
    • 1 large avocado - peeled and seeded
    • ½ cup chopped cilantro
    • 2 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 small English cucumber - seeded and chopped
    • salt - to taste

    Instructions
     

    Burgers

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    • Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook 15-20 minutes or until very tender. (It's okay if they're falling apart slightly.) Drain well.
    • Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the carrots and red bell pepper and continue cooking another 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
    • Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cayenne and cook 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Add the drained lentils, walnuts, panko and parsley.
    • Using an immersion blender, coarsely puree the mixture, leaving some of the lentils and vegetables whole.
    • Form mixture into 6 patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
    • Spray a non-stick grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Place the patties on the grill pan and grill 1-2 minutes per side.
    • Serve on whole-grain hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce.

    Tzatziki

    • Combine yogurt, avocado, cilantro, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth.
    • Add the cucumber and pulse several times, but do not fully puree.
    • Serve with burgers.

    Notes

    MAKE AHEAD:  Burgers can be formed 1 day ahead of time.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1burger | Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4561IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 5mg

    These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @fromachefskitchen.

    More Sandwiches and Burgers

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    • Grilled Burgers with Bacon Tomato Jam and Smoked Gouda
    • Curried Tofu Salad
    • BBQ Chicken Sliders
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    Categories: Sandwiches

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cindy says

      March 21, 2023 at 7:25 pm

      After they are cooked and drained, how many cups of lentils are needed for this recipe? I want to cook lentils for more than one recipe. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Carol says

        March 22, 2023 at 7:50 am

        Hi, Cindy, Thanks so much for your question. One recipe as written will yield six burgers. Generally, one cup of dried lentils which is called for in the recipe yields two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils. If you look on the recipe card, you'll see a 1X, 2X and 3X so it will provide the amounts for doubling and tripling the recipe. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Cheer B Kosak says

      February 06, 2023 at 10:00 am

      Do you think the avocado is what is pushing the fat to the level it is? That is the only thing I see that might elevate it. I think these sound perfect but I do wonder about the fat content and its source. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Carol says

        February 07, 2023 at 8:18 am

        Hi, Cheer, Thanks so much for your question. The values are computer generated using a nutritional program. I just re-ran the nutritional numbers and they came out lower. You could reduce it more by using nonfat Greek yogurt. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      March 31, 2019 at 12:17 am

      5 stars

      Reply
    4. Meg | Meg is Well says

      June 06, 2017 at 10:22 am

      This looks like a seriously tasty burger that I would get served to me at a pub. Just give me a beer and I am set!

      Reply
      • Carol says

        June 06, 2017 at 10:34 am

        Thanks, Meg! Even my hubby enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Christine says

      May 29, 2017 at 5:30 am

      I've never had lentils in burger-form before. I'd love to try it out!

      Reply
    6. Michelle says

      May 26, 2017 at 9:06 pm

      1. Beautiful photo!
      2. The burger patty sounds amazing.
      3. I am on team "put sauce on everything!" and your avocado tzatziki looks divine.

      Reply
      • Carol says

        May 27, 2017 at 7:42 am

        Thanks, Michelle!

        Reply

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