I’ve had my fair share of veggie burgers: the store bought and homemade kind. I can’t remember not liking any of the veggie burgers I’ve made, but many of them fell apart in the making, were too dry, or took forever to make. Not these! My dad even likes these (he asked for seconds!) and he’s never been too fond of my previous veggie burgers.

I’ve adapted this delicious recipe from A Healthy Passion to make these red lentil burgers, my new favorite veggie burger which I’ve already made multiple times and am sure to continue making in the future.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
4 carrots
3 celery ribs
2 small onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder (add more or less depending on how spicy you like your food)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (omit if you don’t like spicy food)
1 teaspoon basil, parsley, or any other kind of green herb or mix
1 cup bread crumbs (or until mixture begins to stick to spoon)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Makes approximately 20 burgers

Boil a pot of water and add in a bit of salt. Once the water begins to boil, add in your lentils, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes (this may vary depending on the type of lentils and stove that you have, ready when soft). While the lentils are simmering, prepare your vegetables. Use a food processor to chop the onions, celery, and carrots. When the lentils are cooked, add all of these ingredients together in a large bowl and mix. Add in your spices and bread crumbs. Form palm-sized burgers of the mixture and place on a baking pan. Brush the burgers with olive oil on each side. Bake 10-15 minutes until the burgers start to turn brown.

I love to eat these with hummus and ketchup. They’re great the following day on a sandwich or preheated again. Bon appetite and thank you, Kate, for the original recipe!