Easy Vegan Breakfasts: Vegan Lentil Mushroom Burgers

As I mentioned last week, things have been a little hectic around here lately with the additional work I’m doing for my book. Luckily, my cookbook is for a very specific type of cooking, so while there are some recipes I come up with for the book that I really want to post on my blog too, there are a lot of recipes I come up with for the blog that wouldn’t be a good fit with the book. But even still, I spend a lot of time trying to think up new recipe ideas. This post was easy though, because it was your idea.

Well, okay, maybe not you you. But I’ve had some readers tell me they were making my meatball recipes into burgers. And I’ve had a few others ask me if it was something I thought would work out. I guess I could have just added a line to my Lentil Mushroom Meatballs post saying, “Oh, and by the way, you can make these into burgers too!” But I’m greedy for easy recipe ideas right now, so Lentil Mushroom Burgers are getting a full post.

I like texture in my veggie burgers, which makes forming patties (and getting them to stay together) a little bit tougher. It’s easy to get a burger to stick together when it’s made with pureed beans or veggies, but I don’t like the feeling of biting into those kinds of burgers—I want to see what’s in it, you know? (Yes, I am picky.) Baking is the best way I’ve found to cook the kinds of veggie burgers I like. There’s no flipping, no grates for the burger to fall through—it just works better.

We topped our burgers with the usual burger things like lettuce and pickles, cashew mayo, and caramelized onions. While you’re not going to mistake the texture of these patties for a beef burger (which, in my opinion, is a good thing!), the savory umami flavor from the mushrooms will definitely satisfy those of you who miss eating meat. I guess what I’m saying is that this isn’t a veggie burger that tastes like vegetables.

Last month I posted a recipe for Cauliflower Hummus Burgers and this month I’m posting these Lentil Mushroom Burgers because I’ve decided to do a burger recipe every month this summer. Woo hoo! It’s the summer of burgers! It’s like the summer of love, minus the hippies, plus delicious veggie burgers.

Vegan Lentil Mushroom Burgers

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Savory veggie burger patties made with lentils, mushrooms, and oats.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4 burgers

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
8 oz white mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp red wine
1/2 cup vegetable or mushroom broth
1 tbsp soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
4 burger buns + lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and whatever else you like on your burgers

Instructions

Combine lentils, bay leaf, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. (Yes, the lentils will be undercooked—don’t cook them for the time indicated on the package!) Remove from heat, drain, and cool slightly. Discard bay leaf.
Add mushrooms and lentils to food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), stirring constantly. Stir in mushroom-lentil mixture. Cook for about 4 minutes or until browned, stirring constantly.
Add red wine to skillet and cook until evaporated. Stir in broth, soy sauce, oats, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray it with oil or cooking spray). Divide the burger mixture into 4 patties and pat them into shape on the baking sheet. You want them to be pretty tightly packed because that will help them hold their shape. Bake them for 20–30 minutes, or until the patties are browned and cooked through. Use a spatula to carefully transfer patties to buns, then top them with all of your fabulous burger toppings.