vegan mushroom lentil burger

Savory Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger

Fire up your grills and dig out your tongs, it’s grilling time! My Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger is the ideal burger for your summer BBQ’s. While most bean burgers can be extremely mushy, this one is unlike the rest before them – it’s actually firm!

I experimented with a couple of iterations of this burger and figured out that less is actually more. Specifically, I cut out an additional three ingredients that did not affect the taste at all, but helped make it more firm. It becomes a win-win for you because the ingredient list is smaller and you still will turn out with an awesome Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger.

Unlike my 25-minute Hearty Vegan Black Bean Burger, this one takes just a little bit more time to prep. That’s because sauteing of veggies is required, which is a critical step in the process to make this burger firm. Why? Well because we want to remove any extra liquid that is not part of the ingredient list; in this case water trapped inside the veggies.

Savory Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger

To start this burger recipe, pour your lentils in a pot with water and cook according to package. This should take about 30 minutes. As they cook, you can begin preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Chop up your onions and mushrooms and then add them to skillet over medium heat. Saute for 10 minutes without oil and minimal water (since mushrooms hold water, you’ll find you won’t need but a a couple of tbsp’s to prevent sticking). Two minutes before your veggies are done sauteing, add in the garlic. Adding the garlic at the end helps prevent it from overcooking or burning. You can use this trick with any recipe that uses garlic (it really only needs 30s-60s to bring out the flavor).

Now, add the cooked onion, mushrooms, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until they are finely diced. It took me 10-15 pulses for this to happen.

Directly from your food processor, pour the diced veggies into a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out any excess water with a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon. Press hard to ensure all the water drains into your sink. Just like my other burger recipe, it pays to take your time here.

Savory Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger

At this point your beans should be finished cooking. Drain any excess water then smash them in a large mixing bowl (aim to smash at least 75% of beans). You can then add in your drained veggies, and the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and combine. You want the consistency dry enough to be able to shape a burger patty without pieces breaking off

If the mixture is still too wet, add one extra tablespoon of additional oat flour or all-purpose flourRemember, you can always add more, but not less, so test one patty after you mix in the flour and adjust from there.

To form patties, roll the mixture into the size of a tennis ball in your hands, then flatten with your palms to the desired shape. I shaped my patties about one-half inch thick and 3-4 inches wide (no need to measure, just use these as guidelines). 

Savory Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger

Lastly, using same skillet you used for the veggies, place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add vegetable oil (use one with a high smoke point like canola or avocado) or coconut oil and spread around in your skillet. Then add a couple burgers at a time to fry. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.

If you’re oil free, you can bake these at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once. However, to get a nice crisp and help firm up the burgers, frying or grilling is recommended. If you grill, make sure to coat or spray your grill with cooking spray and cook 3-5 minutes on each side. 

Top the burger with my Vegan Thousand Island Dressing, arugula, red onions, pickles and/or peppercinis. Pairing this burger with more acidic condiments enhances the flavors best. But if you prefer other toppings, have at it!

Do you want fries with that? Serve with my healthy Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Fries for a complete meal!

Savory Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger

vegan mushroom lentil burger

vegan mushroom lentil burger

Prep Time
Total Time 
35 minutes
45 minutes
Prep Time:
35 minutes
Total Time: 
45 minutes
Servings:
6
Cuisine:
vegan
Category:
entree
Diet:
gluten free, soy free
Author:
plant based scotty

ingredients :

1 flax egg* See Notes

1/2 cup brown lentils, dry

2 portabella mushrooms, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 cup whole rolled oats

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (vegan version)

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced (or 2 tsp dried)

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced (or 2 tsp dried)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp all-purpose flour (Optional to dry out burger mix)

1/4 cup filtered water for sauteing veggies

1 tbsp olive oil for cooking burgers

serve with :

hamburger buns

arugula

pickles

notes :

*Combine 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp warm water in small bowl

directions :

  1. Make your flax egg and set aside. Rinse lentils in a fine mesh strainer. Cook according to package instructions (Brown lentils typically cook using a 1:2 lentil to water ratio). Once finished, add to a large bowl and mash (some chunks are OK).

  2. Add the oats to a food processor and pulse several times into a rough oat flour.

  3. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

  4. Add garlic to sautéed veggies at the 8 minute mark. Stir frequently so they do not burn. Then remove from heat and place all contents into food processor. Pulse until finely diced.

  5. Pour veggies in a fine mesh strainer to drain excess water. This will make for more firm burger patties. Then add to bowl with lentils.

  6. Now, add flax egg, oat flour, hemp seeds, Worcestershire sauce, all herbs, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with hands or a wooden spatula to combine. If the mixture is too weight, add in 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour at a time to dry. You're aiming for a clumpy mix.

  7. Form into six patties by rolling them into the size of a tennis ball, then flattening them in between hands. Place on a clean plate or parchment paper.

  8. Heat the same pan you used for your veggies in to medium heat and add olive oil once hot. Fry patties on each side for 4-5 min or until browned.

notes :

*Combine 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp warm water in small bowl

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burger | Gluten-Free | Soy-Free

2 Comment(s)

  1. Nickie Harris
    June 3, 2018

    These burgers are delicious and so easy to make! They hold together really well and the mushroom adds a nice texture.

    1. Scotty
      June 4, 2018

      I am so glad you enjoyed them!

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