Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

Recipe by From a Chef's Kitchen

Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce are hearty enough for a carnivore!

Ingredients

• burgers
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil ((divided))
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 2 medium carrots (grated)
• ½ large red bell pepper (finely chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• ⅔ cup walnuts
• ½ cup panko (regular or gluten-free)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• non-stick cooking spray
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 6 whole grain hamburger buns
• red lettuce
• red onion slices
• tomato slices
• broccoli sprouts
• avocado slices
• tzatziki
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 large avocado (peeled and seeded)
• ½ cup cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small English cucumber ( seeded and chopped)
• salt (to taste)

Method

1. BURGERS
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook 15-20 minutes or until very tender. (It's okay if they're falling apart slightly.) Drain well.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the carrots and red bell pepper and continue cooking another 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and cayenne and cook 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Add the drained lentils, walnuts, panko and parsley.
6. Using an immersion blender, coarsely puree the mixture, leaving some of the lentils and vegetables whole.
7. Form mixture into 6 patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Spray a non-stick grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Place the patties on the grill pan and grill 1-2 minutes per side.
9. Serve on whole-grain hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce.
10. TZATZIKI
11. Combine yogurt, avocado, cilantro, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth.
12. Add the cucumber and pulse several times, but do not fully puree.
13. Serve with burgers.

View the recipe instructions at From a Chef's Kitchen