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Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki with red onion, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and avocado on black plate.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce are hearty enough for a carnivore! You may even need a knife!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Sandwiches
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 6
Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

Burgers

  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots grated
  • 1/2 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
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup panko regular or gluten-free
  • 1/4 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
  • 1/2 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

TIPS:
  • 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.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Burgers can be formed 1 day ahead of time.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
  • Burgers can be frozen for 1-2 months.  Wrap securely to prevent them from drying out.

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