I had so much fun working on the Burger chapter of Vegan Under Pressure. I thought that I might get sick of veggie burgers but that has not happened yet.
The professional photo (thanks Lauren Volo) of my Red Lentil, Sweet Potato, Hemp Veggie Burgers includes potato chips (they did not ask me and probably thought that it was cute). I do not recommend serving this healthy and tasty burger with them – or eating them at all. Below are a few better choices to serve with this delicious burger.
- “Baked” Beans from Vegan Under Pressure
- Garlicky Green Bean and Potato Salad from The New Fast Food
- Potato Vegetable Salad with Mustard-Tarragon Dressing
- Orange Scented Beet Salad (found in both books and here online)
- even cut up carrots are a better choice and you don’t have to cook anything else.
One of the best ways to use up small amounts of leftovers is to make burgers. Or if by some chance, you slightly overcook food, guess what? Burgers might be in your future. Once you make the burgers, you can wrap them and put them in the freezer to eat later. I hope that you will be as happy with them as I have been.
Red Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Hemp Burgers from Vegan Under Pressure
Ingredients
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 cup minced mushrooms such as shiitake (stems removed) or crimini
- 1 cup red lentils rinsed and picked over
- 1½ sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces (1 medium)
- 2¼ cups vegetable stock
- Vegetable cooking spray optional
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 cup “baby” or quick oats
- 1 to 4 tablespoons brown rice flour if needed
Instructions
- Heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat or set an electric cooker to sauté. Add the onion, ginger, and mushrooms and dry sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lentils, sweet potatoes, and stock.
- Lock on the lid. Bring to high pressure; cook for 6 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally.
- Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Transfer the lentil mixture to a large bowl and let
- stand until cool enough to handle, at least 15 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray, if desired; or line the sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- When the lentil mixture is cool, mash it with a potato masher or a fork. Stir in the hemp seeds, parsley, cilantro, and curry powder. Stir in the oats. The mixture should come together and form a thick paste; if it is too wet, add brown rice flour by the tablespoon, as necessary.
- With wet hands, form into 8 to 10 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the burgers and bake for another 10 minutes, until they are firm and brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes. Serve immediately, refrigerate, or freeze for up to 3 months.
I don’t eat mushrooms, and a whole cup would seem a lot to leave out. What would you suggest to replace them?
This is a good question Susan. The mushrooms are there for both texture and flavor. You could possibly substitute some cooked beans. If you do, let me know how it works out.
I can’t imagine life without mushrooms but I understand…
Any recommendations for a substitute for the pats? I just can’t tolerate them but love the sound of this!
Oh for oats? You can use any other rolled grain or you can use a variety of other binders such as polenta, ground quinoa or buckwheat and other grains. There are many ways to get a veggie burger to hold together. I tend to avoid bread crumbs because I don’t think that they are a healthier choice, however use what works for you.