BBQ Lentil and Sweet Potato Burgers
Servings: 10 burgers
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cooked lentils approx. 1 cup dry
- 1 cup finely chopped onion approx. 1 small onion
- ½ cup finely chopped carrot approx. 2 large carrots
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds raw or roasted
- ⅓ cup walnuts or sub extra sunflower seeds for nut-free version
- 1¼ cup panko breadcrumbs whole wheat or GF
- ¼ cup flour I like chickpea flour
- ¼ cup flax meal
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup mashed sweet potato from approx. 1 medium-size cooked sweet potato
- ½ cup barbecue sauce such as my homemade vegan BBQ sauce
- 1 egg or flax egg (1T flax + 3T water*)
- extra virgin olive oil for cooking
- suggested toppings: lettuce, barbeque sauce, avocado, red onion
Instructions
- Start by cooking the sweet potato by either microwaving on high for 7-8 minutes or baking in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes to an hour. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Using a food processor, finely chop the onion, carrots, garlic, walnuts and sunflower seeds then transfer to a large bowl. I prefer to process each ingredient individually to achieve the best texture.
- Next add the cooked lentils to the food processor and pulse until they appear slightly pureed, then transfer them to the bowl as well. *Be careful not to over process the lentils. You don’t want them to turn to mush–there should still be some shape to at least half of them. See picture in the post as an example.
- Once you have all of the vegetables, lentils, nuts and seeds in the bowl, add the sweet potato, breadcrumbs, seasonings, and the flax meal. Stir everything together.
- Pour in the barbeque sauce and the egg (or flax egg), and stir until well-combined. Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time as you continue to stir. If the mixture seems too wet, add more flour as needed.
- Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture out to form individual patties with your hands, making sure to keep them flat with rounded edges and somewhat smaller than the bun. They will hold together better if they aren’t too thick or too big. At this point you can refrigerate them until you are ready to cook (for up to 2-3 days) or cook them right away.
- When you’re ready to cook them, start by warming olive oil over medium-heat in a skillet for at least five minutes. Once the skillet is thoroughly heated, cook the burgers on each side for about 5-6 minutes. I like the push the edges of the burger to the side of the pan as I cook them to make sure they are cooked on the sides as well. Serve on a warm bun with desired toppings and dig in!
Notes
*to make a flax egg combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water and allow to thicken for five to ten minutes.