Full of protein-packed lentils and brown rice, these veggie burgers will surely leave you satisfied.
Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 75 minutes. Yields: 8 burgers
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
10 oz cremini mushrooms, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2-4 tablespoons gound flax seeds or nut meal (such as almond)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon aleppo or crushed red pepper
To serve:
Buns, cheese, ketchup, pickles
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and preheat oven to 400° F. Season water with 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Once water is boiling, add 1/2 cup each brown rice and brown lentils. Stir and bring back up to boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Cook, covered for 40 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
3. Cut sweet potatoes in half, rub with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Roast at 400° F cut-side down, on a foil lined tray for about 30-40 minutes until tender.
4. While sweet potatoes roast and rice cooks, add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add a smashed garlic clove and cook until fragrant. Add the diced mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 8-10 minutes until crispy. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt towards the last minute of cooking.
5. Once fully tender, remove the sweet potato from the oven and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 ° F. Add rice, lentils, and mushrooms to the bowl, (being careful to remove the garlic cloves).
6. To the rice and potato mixture, add chipotle powder, coriander, aleppo or crushed red pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 2 tablespoons nut or flax seed meal. Stir with a spatula to combine. If mixture looks too wet, add 1-2 more tablespoons of flax or nut meal.
7. Line a 1/2 cup measure with plastic wrap, scoop and pack in mixture, place on greased cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula. Bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes, flipping carefully halfway through. Or air fry at 350° F for 30 min, spray with cooking spray, and carefully flip halfway through. Five minutes before the end of cooking, top with cheese (if using) to melt.
Tips:
To freeze: After cooling completely, stack the burgers in between squares of parchement or foil, then wrap in plastic, and cover in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, cook in a toaster oven or oven at 350°F for 5 minutes, adding cheese to melt halfway through. They should also heat well in a sauté pan over medium heat.
The mushrooms help give the burgers umami or a more savory flavor, but they can be substituted with sauteed kale, or peppers and onions, or any other veggie that holds it's shape and doesn't bring too much moisture.