Ethnic Lentil Burgers (Vegan)

Ethnic Lentil Burgers (Vegan)

Your usual lentil burger is made with fresh vegetables and bread crumbs, but this recipe takes a Middle Eastern spin by adding spices like cinnamon to the lentils. This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare. You can cook the lentils ahead of time to make the cooking time even less!

Makes 8 burgers

Ingredients:

·        1 cup of water

·        ½ cup dry lentils

·        ¾ cup instant brown rice

·        ¾ cup uncooked oatmeal

·        ¼ cup corn

·        ¼ cup red pepper, chopped

·        ¼ cup fresh onion, chopped

·        4 tablespoons fresh parsley

·        ½ cup shredded carrot

·        ¼ cup chopped celery

·        1 teaspoon safflower oil

·        2 teaspoons salt

·        ¼ teaspoon allspice

·        ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·        ¼ teaspoon cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.

2. Boil the water in a kettle, pour into a pot, and add the lentils. Simmer and cook lentils for 20 minutes or until soft.

3. Cook the brown rice according to package directions: add ¾ cup of water and rice into a microwavable bowl. Microwave on for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Fluff with fork.

4. Put the oatmeal into a blender and blend into a fine powder.

5. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

6. Separate them into 8 evenly-sized balls, making sure to squeeze them so the burger will stick together.

7. Form into ¾ inch thick patties and place on parchment paper-lined pan. Bake for 10 minutes on each side. 

After making these burgers, I freeze them, and later, they make a super quick and easy meal. Just reheat them in the microwave for 90 seconds or until hot!