Meatless Monday: Olive Lentil Burgers

Post by: Angela Tucker
Recipe from: Isachandra.com

This is one of my favourite burger recipes, and it comes from Isa Chandra – one of my favourite places to get recipes! I love to double the batch and freeze the extra ones to use later – enjoyed as a burger, or even crumbled into a salad.

Mushrooms add amazing flavour to these burgers, and their texture makes them an awesome replacement for meat in many different recipes. This can help increase fibre, vitamins and minerals in your meals, while cutting back on cholesterol, saturated fat and calories.

The lentils in this recipe are a great source of protein (needed to build and repair cells in your body), potassium (important for keeping your blood pressure healthy) and iron (used in the blood to carry oxygen all over your body).

Nutrient absorption tip: Pair these burgers with tomatoes and/or red peppers (the vitamin C in these foods help you absorb iron!).

If you are worried about your sodium intake, try replacing half the olives with equal amounts of mushrooms and leave out the soy sauce.

-Angela

Olive Lentil Burgers

Makes  6 burgers

Ingredients:

• Olive oil (from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, your choice)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced medium
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (or whatever mushrooms you like)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (really, use any pitted olive you like)
• 1 15 oz can cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan non-stick (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes with a pinch of salt. Add mushroom, garlic, black pepper, thyme and tarragon and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until mushroom is cooked.

3. While mushroom is cooking, place olives in food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped (not pureed.) Remove from food processor and set aside. (No need to clean it out for the next step.)

4. When mushrooms have cooked, add mushroom mixture to the food processor. Add all other ingredients except for 1/2 a cup of the breadcrumbs. (Did you hear me? Reserve 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, this will give them better texture.) Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be a little texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to the burger mixture, along with the chopped olives, and thoroughly combine.

5. Divide burger mix into 6 equal pieces. An easy way to do this is divide it in half, then cut each half into 3 basically equal portions. You can do that right in the bowl if it’s large enough.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Form mixture into patties, spray with a little more cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Flip burgers and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, until nicely browned.

They taste great served immediately but they’re also excellent at room temperature so don’t be afraid to stuff into a sandwich and take as a lunch.

Recipe from: http://isachandra.com/2010/12/olive-lentil-burgers/

Nutrition Info (per 1 burger, if making 6)

Calories: 210
Fat: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fibre: 5 grams
Protein: 10 grams

Sodium: 410 mg
Potassium: 500mg
Iron: 4 mg
Folate: 166 DFE

Nutrition analysis complete using: https://www.eatracker.ca/recipe_analyzer.aspx

Angela Tucker is a Registered Dietitian from rural Manitoba. Angela first became vegan for compassionate reasons but soon realized other ways a vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet positively impacts the planet and health. To learn more about her philosophy on food, visit her blog PrairieSprout. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.