Grilled Veggie Burgers with Lentils and Walnuts
I will gladly admit it, even though I eat meat, I LOVE a good veggie burger. LOVE.
Sometimes when you don't want a heavy hamburger, a good ol' veggie burger with all of the fixings totally hits the spot. When I first moved to Nashville I had a version of this veggie burger a local vegan restaurant Avo. I loved their use of lentils and walnuts to create a savory vegetable based burger.
In this recipe I used my Traeger to get those smoky taste found in traditional hamburgers. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for all of our vegan or vegetarian friends or just sometimes when you want a lighter version of a hamburger.
Grilled Veggie Burgers with Lentils and Walnuts
- ¾ cup dried green lentils
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 cup toasted walnuts
- Serve with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and hamburger buns
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the lentils and cook the lentils for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed with 4 tablespoons of water. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.
In a medium saute pan over medium heat add the onion and olive oil. Cook onion for about 4 to 6 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the onion and garlic mixture, along with 3/4ths of the lentils, the flaxseed, breadcrumbs, cumin, paprika, and toasted walnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth and comes together. If the mixture is dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until mixture comes together. Fold in the remaining lentils.
Form the lentil mixture into 4 to 6 patties and place on a parchment lined plate. Refrigerate the patties for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook start the Traeger according to grill instructions. Set the temperature to degrees 425F and preheat, lid closed 10-15 minutes.
Grill the veggie burgers for 8 to 10 minutes flipping halfway through. Serve burgers on toasted hamburger buns topped with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayonnaise.