Spiced Lentil Walnut Burgers. Easy Flavorful Burger patties with avocado ranch. Vegan Burger Recipe. Soyfree Easily gluten-free. Serve as burgers or over salad.
These scrumptious and filling patties have lentils, rice, walnuts and loads of flavor in them. It’s been a while since I made burger patties. I am hoping these fantastic burgers will be magical enough to get us some sunny days in the cloudy PNW. Am I ready for warmer days with loads of sunshine. The grey starts to depress even the chirpiest of the people and birds around.
I use cumin, coriander, garam masala in these. Feel free to use your own combination of flavors such as cumin + chipotle + oregano, or coriander + berbere, or a chili powder blend of choice. Add some coarsely ground fennel seeds for a sausagey flavor. Since the burger mixture is cooked, you can fix and adjust the flavors before committing to the patties!
I served these Lentil Walnut Burgers /patties with my avocado ranch, lettuce, juicy tomatoes, onions, pickled jalapeno and a melted chao cheese slice! I am topping he next batch with a load of caramelized onions. The sweet onions go really well with the earthy lentils. Use any vegan ranch or mayo, some ketchup or bbq or other sauces of choice. To troubleshoot any veggie burger patties(crumbly, too soft etc), see my tips on this burger round up post. Happy Burgering!
More burgers from the blog
- BBQ Veggie Burger with Mango Carrot Cabbage slaw
- Spicy Chickpea yellow Lentil Burgers
- Bean Broccoli Lentil Burgers
- Amaranth Black Bean sliders with roasted red pepper sauce
- Red Lentil and Cauliflower Burger with Onion rings and Chipotle Habanero Mayo
- Grill-able Artichoke Cauliflower Spinach Bean Burger
- and a 35 Veggie burger collection round up!
Lately the facebook page has been getting angry non vegans asking me to change the name of the food to something other than burger, as Burger always equals meat. Well, please see this definition on Mirriam Webster. I did not make that definition. Burger is a generic term for a sandwich type food, that can be a hamburger, other meat burger, made with tofu, veggies, beans etc. Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers!
Reading for the day-
Catch my interview at MasalaMommas this week.
Videos to watch
- This beautiful Indian wedding. It is big, long, cultural and vegan, does not use flowers, non biodegradable waste/plastics, no silk, pearls, leather. Amazing!
- This video shot at Pasado’s safe haven with Children and the sanctuary animals
- Cost of cheap clothing on the people and the planet
The burger patties can also be baked. I prefer to cook them on a pan for a crispy exterior and moist juicy interior. Baking can dry the patties out a bit. If you use a good non stick pan, oil might not be needed for the roasting.
If you try these patties, leave me a comment, rate the recipe(when you try it), tag me on Instagram #veganricha, let me know what you think, love, not like, suggestions. Feedback keeps me motivated (esp in this grey weather) and helps me improve!
Video:
Lentil Walnut Burgers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (7 g) chopped red onions
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 inch (0.25 inch) ginger
- 1/3 cup (39 g) walnuts
- 1/4 cup (4 g) packed cilantro
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt or more depends on if the lentils were salted
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) each of ground cumin coriander
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cayenne hot! or use sweet paprika + a good dash of black pepper for less heat
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garam masala
- 3-4 (3 ) basil leaves optional
- 3/4 cup (142.5 g) cooked brown or white rice
- 1 1/2 cups (299.28 g) cooked brown lentils or 1 15 oz can. I used Indian brown lentils
- 2 tsp ketchup or bbq sauce
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp flax seed meal mixed in 2.5 tbsp warm water, let sit for 2 minutes
- 3-4 tbsp (3 tbsp) breadcrumbs or flour use gf breadcrumbs or flour to make gf
Instructions
- In a processor, process onion, garlic, ginger, walnuts and cilantro until finely chopped. Alternatively, cook the onions and garlic in 1/2 tsp oil until they are golden and then add to the processor.
- Add the spices, salt, basil, rice, half of the cooked lentils and pulse a few times until well combined. Transfer to a bowl with the rest of the lentils. Add ketchup, oil, flax egg and mix everything until evenly mixed in. Mash a bit if needed and mix in. Taste and adjust salt, spice, herbs if needed. Add in the breadcrumbs or flour and mix in. Let the mixture chill for 10 minutes.
- If the chilled mixture is too wet, add in more flour or breadcrumbs. The amount needed depends on the moisture in the veggies, the kind of lentils and just general mood of things in the mixture. Add more breadcrumbs or flour if too sticky wet. Add another flax egg if too crumbly to make patties.
- Shape into 4 large patties. Pack well. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and spread it around. Place patties on the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side.
- Serve with vegan ranch/avocado ranch or mayo or ketchup, mustard or other dressing of choice. Add some caramelized onions or other toppings.
Video
Notes
Add 2 tbsp nutritional yeast. To Bake: I normally bake lentil burger patties at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 or more minutes until golden. I haven't tried baking these particular patties. Let me know if you do.
Nutrition
Emma
I just made these. This is my third time trying a vegan mushroom burger (not from this recipe). I wanted one with mushrooms and lentils. This was definitely the best! It was a bit fiddly, and I got caught out with time. But I just left the minced ingredients to the side until later when I had time to finish them. I added mushrooms and cooked them down well with the onion, and baked them in the oven as per instructions. I thought the texture was great, but I might add a little soy or something to make a slightly more savoury flavour when I make these again (no idea if that will work, but I’ll try!). This made 7 smallish patties. I ate 2 for dinner, and will freeze the rest after baking for me to eat when the boys eat their beef burgers! Generally great. Would definitely make these again and try and few minor tweaks to the recipe. Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
yummy
Claudia
I made this recipe today, with my own spin and some ingredient subs. These burgers turned out fantastic. So much so, that my non-vegan husband says he prefers them over his favorite fast-food meat burgers. Here’s what I subbed:
I used 3 Tbsp JUST Egg instead of the flax egg
1/4 cup matzo meal rather than the bread crumbs
2 Tbsp homemade buillon powder which includes nutritional yeast as a base, herbs and spices rather than the spice profile in the recipe.
One drop of liquid smoke.
The consistency of the mixture after refrigeration for an hour was perfect.
I made thin-ish burgers, seared the patties on both sides and then turned the heat to low and let them dry out until they were no longer pasty in the center.
Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
wow! that’s great & thanks for the info
Edward Abrahams
such an easy recipe to use…very simple ingredients…can’t wait to try this…thanks so much for sharing
Vegan Richa Support
let me know how you like it
Trish
I can’t find brown lentils anywhere. Which other lentils would work?
Vegan Richa Support
green will hold their shape similarly to brown
Mallory Crisp
First of all, love this recipe.
Secondly, just wanted to put it out there for anyone who is wondering: this recipe is extremely substitution friendly! I didn’t have a flax egg, so I substituted a quarter cup of silken tofu. I also didn’t have walnuts so I substituted sunflower seeds. I didn’t have any cumin, so I substitute a chili powder. The burgers came out phenomenal! Once again Richa knows what’s up!
And my suggestion for anyone who feels like they have made their mixture too mushy, throw the batter in the fridge! Or the freezer if you’re in a pinch. The cold temperature firms it right up.
I baked these to avoid oil, and they came out excellent! I did my burgers at 400°F for 20 minutes on the first side, 15 minutes on the second side. I used parchment paper and lightly sprayed the bottom of the burgers with cooking spray to help ease with the release when I flipped them.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for the info!
Elrita
Going to try these this weekend. Not a huge walnut fan, would substituting mushrooms and adding extra flour to bind be a good substitute. Or what would you recommend
Vegan Richa Support
You could do that with cooked mushrooms, sure, or these are some nice options: https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-portobello-mushroom-burger/ https://www.veganricha.com/grillable-veggie-burger/
Karine
First time I’ve tried this recipes, excellent but I should have added spicy sauce. We ate it with a salad but I’ll make a burger next time. Fried them in the pan, super quick to make, doubled quantity of flour- use oat flour- and the inside was soft while the outside was slightly crispy. Made 8 small but quite filling!!
Vegan Richa Support
perfect, yes, go for the spice! you won’t regret it
Ann Edmondson
A large bowl full ended on the bin. Blending makes the burgers too mushy. It’s only necessary to mash the ingredients in a bowl. The nuts need choping in a blender, but not too finely. Also, I didn’t like the garam masala.
Richa
Sorry it dint work out for you. You need a food processor and only pulse or use in short bursts so that there is texture in the mixture and it doesn’t get pasty.
Garam masala from general brands is often unbalanced. Also you can omit it and add some thyme and oregano instead
Ann Edmondson
Thanks for the reply.
Lindsay
A blender and food processor are quite different….most of these vegan recipes use a processor to maintain their texture. If you don’t have one, you should prob get one 🙂
Dawn
These burgers look amazing! I can’t wait to try them. I was wondering what your green sauce is in the picture? It looks like it finishes off the burger perfectly. Any chance you could please share the sauce recipe? Thank you! ;0)
Vegan Richa Support
sure thing, it’s (avocado basil ranch) and it’s very tasty! in the description i have a link and you can click here https://www.veganricha.com/irish-potato-cakes-with-avocado-basil-ranch/#wprm-recipe-container-26752
Dawn Meyer
Thank you so much!
Bett
I’m definitely going to try these! I love your recipes. And, avocado ranch here I come . . . I can see putting that on everything 😀
How long would that last in the fridge? When I can I like to make lots of something I know I’ll use a lot.
And good for you, Richa, for standing up to the nomenclature bullies. I just block those people, because I know they are only in my face to push an agenda that has nothing to do with food or burgers.
Kim
These are delicious! This is my first recipe of yours and I’m very pleased. I ate mine with chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce and sliced avocado on top (no bun), and some homemade coleslaw and pickled veggies on the side.
I live alone so I formed my four patties but only cooked one last night, then put the others back in the fridge in a sealed container. I cooked a second one today for lunch and it turned out great that way. I had a feeling cooking them all right away and then reheating the already cooked burgers wouldn’t be as good.
I did find medium-high to be much too hot, it burned my first one last night, so I’m cooking them on medium from now on.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
Bitchin!!!!! haha. thank you!
Deb
Thank u so much for the recipe! It looks great! Can I use green lentils instead of brown (which are not roasted like the brown lentils)?
Vegan Richa Support
thank you for your question – yes, that’s fine
GABRIELLE OTTAVIO
I made this recipe yesterday for Labor Day. The burgers were a hit. They tasted delicious and had a meaty texture. They held together nicely. This recipe was easy and most the ingredients I already had except the garam marsala which you provided the recipe for. I ordered your 2 cookbooks last night from amazon since I really enjoyed your recipe and website.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds like a great long weekend! Oh, Wow, 2 cookbooks?! thank you so very much for your support Gabrielle. I appreciate it greatly.
sharon
Since the covid lockdown, I have used he time at home to try making a new veg burger every weekend. I have tried a variety of proteins….black beans, chickpeas, quinoa, lentils. By far this is my favorite. I followed your recipe exactly, using all of the spices you suggested…actually used both cayenne and smoked paprika….and the flavor was perfect. Loads of wonderful aerobatic flavor, but not overpowering. I did have to add extra breadcrumbs, to tighten it up a bit. This recipe is on my favorites list now.
Vegan Richa Support
i think everyone has def. been cooking at home more during these times. good practice! thank you!!
Fredrick
I made these for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and my youngest son told me they were the best thing I’ve ever cooked for him. I just made them again tonight, this time with basmati rice because I thought the curry flavors would be enhanced by the flavor of basmati. I was right! Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This is now a family favorite!
Vegan Richa Support
that is so nice Fredick. I’m so glad you and the fam loved it! Thanks for the super star rating!
Lynn
These turned out so well, really nice consistency and flavour. I barbecued them but it didn’t make them crispy as I hoped. Next time maybe I will pan fry first. Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks Lynn- yes you can get a nice sear on with the pan method
Gina
Holy Moly – these are delicious! I baked them instead of pan frying them. I lightly patted them in some panko crumbs before baking and they came out so good!! Love these and will be making them often for sure!
Vegan Richa Support
wow – nice twists Gina – I’m glad you had fun with them! I LOVE Panko!
T
Do you have any vegan cheeses that you recommend?
Richa
The brands keep changing their formulations , currently I like chao and some of the daiya
T
Thanks 🙂
Lillie
I read this as “1/4 cup” of ginger instead of “1/4 inch” and was thinking to myself at the time this sounds like a lot of ginger but oh well it’s what the recipe says! Oops! They’re still really tasty though.
Jess
These are SO GOOD. Seriously. A friend made them for me and I asked her to share the recipe. Now I’m going through your site printing off all the recipes I want to try and I hope they measure up to these burgers!
Richa
awesome
rheagan
How about freezing these?
Richa
yes, bake and freeze
Jennifer
Wow! My husband and I decided to try a vegan diet about a month ago, after watching the Netflix doc, “The Game Changer”. After a month, and trying some very delicious vegan recipes, we are hooked! And it’s because of recipes like this one.
I have made this recipe a staple in my kitchen, as it is very adaptable to any recipe.
A weekend breakfast patti , cooked and crumbled in chili, in a veggie filled wrap, salad, or a pasta dish! Mixed in different batches, with different spices, or different nuts or pepitas,
it can be used as your main Protein. Try pressing on a lined baking sheet, and bake, browning top and bottom, and crumble or freeze in blocks for later use.
Thank you!
Richa
Thats aweesome! sos glad to hear about your transition! so many great ideas for the patties!
leslye lawrence
Just made these last night and they were great…albeit they fell apart a bit. Will have to experiment. I didn’t use a lot of flour, but will next time. I’m thinking of trying garbanzo flour instead of wheat…maybe a little more protein and, while not gluten free, I’d like to reduce my wheat intake.
I wonder about grating some carrots and beets to incorporate more veggies. I’ll try that too next time. These will definitely become a staple in our household. Thank you!
Amy
These were so delicious! Thank you! I have both your books and every recipe (I’ve made 20 +) has been wonderful.
Richa
awessome!
STRANGE
These patties came out perfect! The flavor is great and they are soft and moist, while also holding together perfectly. I didn’t even need to add flour or bread crumbs, which made me happy.
I am so glad I found your cooking book two years ago. I have never been disappointed using your recipes and you still continue to surprise me and diversify my cooking.
Richa
yay!!
Cat._.lady
Hi Richa! What are these brown lentils called in Hindi? I couldn’t find them at my regular Indian grocery shop. The guy said if I could tell him the Hindi name, he could look or source it for me. Many thanks. And as always, I love and appreciate your hard work
Richa
sabut masoor. See my indian dal names page . probably bookmark it for shopping 🙂 https://www.veganricha.com/indian-dals-names
Tera
This is the best vegan burger I’ve tried on Pinterest so far… & I’ve made a lot! The burgers turned out so good! Very flavorful, healthy & easy to follow recipe.
Thanks for the recipe!
Mallory
I love these. The flavor is on point! I would have never thought garam masala would be tasty in a burger recipe… but I’ve made them twice now and they are hit with my (meat-loving) husband and 1 year old. I need a little help with keeping the patties together. They crumble up on me in the pan if I’m not SUPER careful with them. Is this normal? Any advice?
Richa
awesome! no they shouldnt break like that. i can make these on a grill pan too without breakage. You maybe needing additional binding, like breadcrumbs or flour, or more mashing of the lentils and veggies as if they are large they interfere with binding. Also see more tips on this post https://www.veganricha.com/2015/08/35-vegan-veggie-burger-recipes.html
Stephanie Osenkowski
These are fantastic! Thank you so much!
Jackie
Sorry, I wasn’t clear….it says 429 kcal. Is that per burger? Or is it approx 86kcal per burger ( if making 6.
Richa
its for the serving size on the widget. it was set to 2. so 2 to 2.5 patties per serving. I updated it with a serving size of 4 (4 large patties), so the nutrition values are for 1 patty now.
Jackie
Richa, with the serving info you give….is it for one burger or..?
Just bought second of your books, the recipes are so tasty!!!
Richa
it makes 5 to 6 burgers
Richa
Awesome!! Thanks!
Sara Miller
Hi Richa,
What a delicious recipe! We made it this evening and it was perfect. We used black lentils for a dark color and changed the spices for a more mesquite flavor. My three year old loved it!!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Richa
Thats awesome!
Bethany
My three year old loved it, too! So yummy! And he’s a picky eater!
Vegan Richa Support
wow!! that’s amazing =). Thank you
Nadia van der Merwe
Hi Richa, Thank God for people like you who post delicious vegan recipes. I have made your burgers twice. I love it. First time the ginger flavour was a bit strong for me and my husband doesn’t like the cilantro flavour. I will also try doubling the sauce and other spices content as I live in an Indian hub in South Africa and we are so used to all things spicy and hot 🙂
Larissa
I find it funny that meat eaters are complaining that your burger should be renamed. I am from Australia and was always confused when Americans refer to the meat patty as the burger when the whole meal – the bun, the salad, the condiments and the patty is called a burger. Looks awesome by the way and I’ll be trying it out really soon. thanks.
Caleb
Having been vegan for the past 9 years, I have made a LOT of vegan burgers. These burgers were, by far, the most flavorful I have ever had. They were amazing. They held together reasonably well, but next time I might add a little extra flax egg or use a different grain, such as barley, as suggested above, to make them even firmer. This is the first recipe I’ve made from this blog. If the other recipes are half as good as this one, I’ll never have to look anywhere else for vegan recipes!
Richa
I am so glad you loved these! There are a bunch more on the blog and another 15 in my book. Adjust the mixture before shaping if they are not holding up well. The lentils, beans, grains all can have different moisture levels and mush levels (depending on how long they were cooked, the type or bean, lentil, grain etc), and the size of the ingredients (larger beans/veggies will make them crumbly if not mashed enough). Add more binding (flax egg for wet binding, breadcrumbs for dry binding) as needed.
Kristina
These worked out really well for me last night, even accounting for adjustments I had to make because of what I had in the house. Even my picky eater liked them. I used sticky short grain rice instead of long white or brown and a ground chia egg instead of a flax egg and unsalted pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts. Hubby likes a toothsome burger so next time I will chop the nuts by hand and keep them for the last addition rather than the first in the processor. I may also use pearled barley instead of rice because it stays firmer after cooking than rice.
Anyway, very grateful for all your recipes. I have made several and they are always delicious. Thank you.
Richa
Awesome! brown rice also is firmer than white. barley would be a great addition.
Rosie
Made these burgers yesterday and they were delicious… I even had two 🙂 Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
thank you
Suzy
Could a can of black beans be subbed for the lentils?
Richa
yes. You will need to mash half the beans really well so that they can act as a binder to hold the burger together
caitlin
can these be made ahead and frozen?
Richa
yes. prebake for half the time and freeze them. Then pan fry on the skillet to warm and crisp.
Anneka
Delicious! I made these with crumbled tofu instead of lentils, because we have a lentil allergy in my family, and everyone enjoyed them. Thanks! 🙂
Claire
Really tasty burgers that hold their shape perfectly, unlike other recipes that turn to mush. The walnuts provide a good bite to this burger & I would gladly make again, thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
perfect – so glad you were pleased with how they turned out. Thank you!
Sara
I tried it yesterday and I cooked it in the oven, it was perfect. So goood 🙂
Rebecca Ramirez
Definitely going to try these!
Emily
what would be a good substitute for cilantro? Could I use dried?
Richa
use basil or just omit
DISTANCEWIDE
It is often difficult to find good vegan burgers when eating out or traveling with our camper van. But this recipes looks yummiiii and we will certainly try it when BBQ on our roadtrips. Thank you so much for sharing.
Suki
Great recipe, do we have any substitute for rice?
Richa
Any other cooked grain like broken wheat, barley, quinoa or millet.
Meaghan Kennedy
We tried quinoa. We had to make them thinner because the mix was too wet despite using extra whole wheat flour and flax. I think baking would had helped with the extra moisture too . Very good taste.
Delaney Wray
These were amazing!! I doubled the recipe last night and made 16 patties for the week! I also baked them and they turned out fantastic! 10 minutes one side & 10 minutes on the other! I just had to make sure the baking sheet was oiled down well. 😉 Great recipe! Thanks!
Brenda
So happy you posted the Best of 2016 as that is how I found these super yummy burgers….so flavourful! A family hit!
Chris
Both of us really enjoyed our lentil walnut burgers tonight. Will definitely be making these a staple in our house. Thanks so much.
Greetings from Australia!
Wendy
These burgers were delicious and formed easily into a patty! My husband couldn’t stop raving about how good they were. We will make again. Thank you for having a terrific website.