Veggie Burger & Yummy Buns
Categories: All, Breads, Contests, Main Dishes, Recipes
Tags: , Allergy Friendly, Dairy Free, GFCF, Gluten Free Meals, Hamburger Buns, Healthy Recipes, US Dry Pea and Lentil Council, Vegan, Vegetarian
I have honestly never made a veggie burger before, just been disappointed in most of the pre-made ones that I’ve tried. Worse still, most veggie burgers aren’t even gluten-free, so our choices have been limited from the get-go!
As with most everything else gluten free, I eventually stop complaining about pre-made versions and just make my own! I’ve been eager to try my hand at making a really good one from scratch, so when the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council asked me to write some recipes for their blogger recipe challenge, I knew I had my excuse to get to it! Lentils should be the base of any respectable veggie burger – their texture and beautiful color varieties are just begging to be lovingly patted into shape, and you can’t beat their nutrition. Did you know lentils offer not only dietary fiber, but also loads of protein, iron, magnesium, zinc and folate, all with no saturated fat? Indeed!
I paired this burger with my fabulous homemade gluten-free buns, but you could certainly eat it sans bun for a low-carb, but really filling meal option. You can also bake these puppies and freeze them for later, or even break them into crumbles for taco filling, put them on your salad, or use them as meatballs for your favorite gluten-free pasta dish! It’s really an impressively versatile (and super healthy) recipe!
The other thing I like about this recipe is that you can tailor it to fit your dietary needs, your taste, and what you have in your fridge (the best kind of recipe!). If you don’t have sunflower seeds on hand, use more walnuts or bread crumbs; if you can’t eat nuts, use more seeds. See what I mean? Don’t be put off by the longer-than-normal ingredient list here — think of them as “options.” You could certainly make a great burger without many of them, just keep the base proportions right, and you’ll have yourself a delicious burger, whatever you use!
In case you missed the others in my series of pea and lentil recipes for the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council blogger challenge, don’t despair — I’ve linked them here for you!
Veggie Burger
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup toasted gluten-free bread crumbs (start with 1 cup of any gluten-free bread, sliced & cubed)
- 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (optional – may substitute with equal measure of nuts or crumbs)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine (optional – may substitute with equal measure of seeds or crumbs)
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Jules Gluten Free™ Certified Gluten-Free Oats
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes (optional, but super healthy & yummy)
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds (optional)
- 1-2 Tbs. gluten-free soy sauce (e.g. San-J Organic Tamari or Bragg® Liquid Aminos)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
Rinse and drain the dried lentils, then place in a large pot with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, then cover to cook for 25-35 minutes, or until the lentils are soft, but not mushy, and have absorbed most of the water. Drain, then pulse in a large food processor or blender, or use a potato masher. Do not completely pulverize the lentils, leaving some intact for texture.
Preheat oven to 300° F.
Spread the bread cubes and sunflower seeds across separate cookie sheets and toast for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once lightly browned, grind the toasted bread cubes in a food processor or blender to create bread crumbs; measure out 1/2 cup of crumbs and reserve extra for other recipes by freezing in a zip-top bag. Next, pulse the toasted sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor to form a coarse meal, leaving some seeds intact for texture. Lastly, briefly pulverize the walnuts until they become fine crumbs, but not for so long that they release their oils and start to form nut butter.
Heat oil in a small pan over medium-high heat, then add the onion and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, or until transparent. Set aside once cooked.
Combine the lentils, bread crumbs, sunflower seeds, ground walnuts, onions, oats, carrots, nutritional yeast, spices, soy sauce and basil in a large bowl. Stir to combine well, adding more oats or bread crumbs if too wet, or more soy sauce if too dry. The mixture should hold together well when formed into a patty. Shape into 8-10 disc-shaped patties.
To sauté: Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with just enough cooking oil to thinly coat the surface. Heat to medium-high and place patties into the hot oil. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, taking care to not allow patties to burn. Depending on the size of your patties, you may need to reduce the heat to medium and cook longer, but as there are no eggs in the patties, there is no concern with undercooking them.
To bake: Preheat oven to 400° F (static). Lightly oil a baking sheet and place each burger onto the pan. Bake for approximately 10 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Baking dries the burgers out more than sautéing, so make sure the burgers are plenty moist before baking so that they do not crumble.
Serve as you would a burger, with all your favorite toppings on a yummy Gluten-Free Bun!
Serves 6-8.
52 Comments
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24. May, 2011
[...] Veggie Burger & Yummy Homemade Buns [...]
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24. May, 2011
[...] Veggie Burger & Yummy Buns Stay tuned for how to win more great prizes from Jules Gluten Free™ and the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council when I enter your favorite of these recipes in their blogger recipe contest Memorial Day weekend! In the meantime, comment on each recipe so you are entered to win the Le Creuset steamer set! You will only be entered once per recipe, but if you leave a comment on each recipe, you’ll get one entry for each comment – that’s a pretty easy way to up your odds of winning that great steamer set! So get ready for some super healthy, super tasty recipes, and start commenting! ____________ My first recipe is for a Chilled Mexican Pea or Lentil Salad with Shrimp. While lentils of any color would be wonderful here, I chose split peas for the recipe pictured because I wanted to test the limits of these tiny emerald gems. Peas appear so unassuming, but they are in fact packed with protein, complex carbs, iron, magnesium and zinc. In this recipe, they took on the flavors of the seasonings and spices – chili powder, cumin and oregano — to blend beautifully for a flavorful taste explosion in every mouthful! And for those pea skeptics out there, trust me: with your eyes closed, you would never know that peas were even in this recipe, much less an integral ingredient. You know I always have substitution options in my recipes, and this one is no different. Like I said, I used split peas, but you could use gold, orange or brown lentils … you can also use any veggies you want here, and feel free to sub out the shrimp for another protein you like (I’d suggest extra firm tofu or chicken). Furthermore, if you’re not into the cold salad thing, serve this yummy recipe to any crowd hot off the stove – it’s amazing both ways! I paired this yummy meal with my super yummy cornbread, but it would also be a great low-carb meal on its own. Be sure to comment on this recipe – do you want to try it? did you try it? what substitutions did you use? I want to know which is your favorite lentil/pea recipe, so I know which to enter in the contest! Chilled Mexican Pea or Lentil Salad with Shrimp [...]
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26. May, 2011
[...] Veggie Burger & Yummy Hamburger Buns [...]
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26. May, 2011
[...] Veggie Burger & Yummy Hamburger Buns [...]
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01. Jun, 2011
[...] Veggie Burger & Yummy GF Buns [...]
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01. Jun, 2011
[...] these healthy little jewels into Chilled Pea or Lentil Salad, Pumpkin Hummus, Zucchini Bread, Veggie Burgers and Chocolate Cake. I’ve never been opposed to increasing fiber, protein, vitamins, and [...]
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03. Aug, 2011
[...] Veggie Burgers [...]
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Tina said: on May 24, 2011
I really tried this – it is so good! Thanks so much. You have certainly brought me out of my very limited gluten free eating habits.
Jenn-O said: on May 24, 2011
I’m definitely saving this recipe!
Mari said: on May 24, 2011
So now I can use those lentils I bought and didn’t know what to do with. Plus, I have to try those GF buns
Linda S. said: on May 24, 2011
This looks and sounds fantastic! Thank you!
Julie Turner said: on May 24, 2011
I am anxious to try the burgers! I LOVE your bun recipe – I like it with the GF beer option!!!! Any suggestions on hotdog buns (forming them)? I use the rings on the burger buns but I am looking for something quick for hotdogs. Do they make an equivelent for the longer shape?
Jules said: on May 24, 2011
Julie – you can form a hotdog shape on the parchment paper if you don’t have a hotdog pan, or you can use a French Bread pan to form them too.
Kelly Williamson said: on May 24, 2011
This looks so delicious! I will be trying it soon!
Jeff said: on May 24, 2011
Lentils rock! And you rock for making them into savory burgers. LOVE your GF buns, too, Jules!
cindy said: on May 24, 2011
I would like to try making this recipe.
Stephanie Nickles said: on May 24, 2011
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I have loved every recipe of yours that I have made. I saw someone commented on using rings to form the buns. What are they and where can i get them? Hot dog bun pans? Please share!
Jules said: on May 24, 2011
Hi Stephanie – so glad you’re loving my recipes!!! The rings are actually called “English Muffin Rings” and they’re pretty easy to find on-line, if not in a cooking store; they’re not pricey. There are also hamburger bun and hotdog bun pans. With my recipe though, you can actually form the buns without rings or pans if you don’t mind that they don’t look perfect! They still taste awesome!
Candace said: on May 24, 2011
Love!!
Candace said: on May 24, 2011
Thank you Jules! Hoping to try your recipes with my lentils!! Thanks for all you do!
Lori said: on May 24, 2011
Looking forward to trying these out!
Brenda McDowell said: on May 25, 2011
LOVE the veggie recipe! I rarely find good veggie options out there which are GF – mainly mean dishes. Thanks for posting!
phylis said: on May 25, 2011
Hi Jules—
Do you have a black bean version of the recipe? I prefer beans over lentils.
Jules said: on May 25, 2011
Hi Phylis – I haven’t tried it yet with black beans, but I LOVE black beans, so I’m sure I will try that version someday soon! In the meantime, sub the same amount of black beans in place of the lentils (either use canned or boil the black beans as you normally would and measure them out afterwards). Enjoy!
Brenda Will said: on May 25, 2011
Sounds yummy, and I have everything needed. I like the other suggestions as well like crumble it for tacos or add it to pasta. Thanks
Nancy Schloss said: on May 25, 2011
Yippee for the great recipe! I’m going to try it with black beans too.
Tami McAfee said: on May 25, 2011
This looks great! I can’t wait to try it! I’m always looking and veggie burgers to see if they are without gluten!:) Thank you!
Sue said: on May 25, 2011
I wonder how using instant potatoes would taste instead of the gf bread crumbs? I have found they work great in meatballs, etc.
Jules said: on May 25, 2011
Sue – I think the instant potatoes (make sure they’re GF!) would be a great sub for the bread crumbs. Use less than the recipe calls for at first though, and add more as you need. Those instant potatoes are famous for absorbing moisture in a recipe!
Sharon Michalove said: on May 25, 2011
I’m not usually a fan of veggie burgers, but these look really good.
ejm said: on May 25, 2011
I have been looking for more vegetarian options. This looks great. thanks
Janet said: on May 25, 2011
Wow, that does look good. And I’m with you, the commercial ones (even the gluten free kind) leave a lot to be desired.
Tracy T said: on May 25, 2011
These sound great! They’re similar to a GF veggie burger that I make that has Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo in it but since finding that my son also has a sensitivity to soy I’d been wondering what to sub in place of it. Duh. LENTILS! Thanks for the great idea and recipe.
Tracy T said: on May 25, 2011
These sound great! They’re similar to a GF veggie burger that I make that has Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo in it but since finding that my son also has a sensitivity to soy I’d been wondering what to sub in place of it. Duh. LENTILS! Thanks for the great idea and recipe.
Jane Dittman said: on May 25, 2011
Those sound really great – My “Jules” book is growing daily. How well would these freeze – either pre-cooking or cooked?
Jules said: on May 25, 2011
Jane – happy to add to your “Jules” book with this recipe! You could form the patties and refrigerate for a few days, then cook them, or you could freeze them after cooking – either way. I had several cooked ones left in the refrigerator after I made this batch and we ate them for days! SO NICE to be able to open the fridge and see something yummy for a meal at the ready!
Caneel said: on May 25, 2011
The girls and I love veggie burgers, hubs not so much but he’ll eat them.
I like the colors in this one, looks delicious!
Ellen C. said: on May 25, 2011
Lentils are a definite winner! I love those power packed legumes and I’m very excited to try your newest recipes, Jules. You are an inspiring GF woman and truly help other Celiac’s live a more normal life with your great products and wonderful recipes. Thanks Jules!
Roxi Hohimer said: on May 25, 2011
I’m a farm girl from ND…not sure on this one…
Emily said: on May 25, 2011
Something fun to try this weekend! Can’t wait!
Lisa Rateike said: on May 25, 2011
this sounds terrific, can’t wait to try it this summer and see how it does camping!
Laurel said: on May 25, 2011
Have had to stay away from regular veggie burgers because of gluten, thank you!
Patti said: on May 26, 2011
I’m looking forward to try making these. They sound delicious.
Leigh Page said: on May 26, 2011
I am so excited to try the bun recipe!! I think I miss a good burger the most!
Ami Frank said: on May 27, 2011
The GF Buns are wonderful. I have made a variety of versions of bread, buns, and rolls using your flour, and they all turn out great.
Pat Boggs said: on June 1, 2011
These are fantastic! I have the same experience–the only frozen variety I can eat are the Sunshine burgers
they are the best.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Any chance you could start adding analysis to the recipes?
Ann said: on June 2, 2011
I have made tofu burgers but have only had store bought veggie burgers so will give these a try.
Lili Rodriguez said: on June 2, 2011
Finally a healthy veggie burger. I can’t wait to try it! I hope it tastes as delicious as it sounds. With Jules creating the recipe, it’s bound to be a winner.
BARBARA MOORE said: on November 8, 2012
Just made this whole recipe this week and my family loved it! Even the meat eaters. We especially loved the beer bun recipe. My only frustration was keeping the burger together once it is baked. It has a tendency to fall apart. Any suggestions?
Jules said: on November 10, 2012
Hi Barbara – SO glad everyone loved the veggie burgers & beer buns!!! They really do make a great combo! As for the burgers staying together, they may have been a bit too dry. Next time add more GF soy sauce until you can squish it together into a nice, soft patty. Hope that helps!
Vik said: on April 17, 2013
Jules, these look great. I am newly diagnosed, and since I am a vegan, beans are a big part of my diet. I cannot find gluten-free dried beans (preferred), or even canned beans, at the grocery store. Every time I call the manufacturer the canned or dried beans are processed on shared equipment with gluten . I know cross-contamination is an issue, so please let me know which brand of beans do you recommend, that I can buy in a grocery store, rather than online. I have also just started reading your first book, thanks for writing it!
Jules said: on April 18, 2013
Hi Vik, if you’re worried about contamination in the beans you’re finding, try Arrowhead Mills dried beans and lentils and other dedicated growers like Elegant Beans and Rancho Gordo. Glad you’re enjoying my First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free book!!