These sprouted lentil burgers are grillable, vegan, gluten-free, adaptable, and can be made ahead, great for meal prep! Love Lentils? Check out 25+ Best Lentil Recipes.
Just let go. Let go of how you thought your life should be, and embrace the life that is trying to work its way into your consciousness.~Caroline Myss~
Looking for a healthier spin on your homemade veggie burger? Here’s a delicious recipe for Sprouted Lentil Burgers – vegan, gluten-free adaptable and grillable! The burgers are alive with active, healthy nutrients that are easy to digest, high in protein, low in calories, yet super filling. Toasted walnuts, miso paste and whole-grain mustard give flavor and depth while the brown rice acts as the binder.
Believe it or not, this recipe does not need eggs or breadcrumbs! Once the lentils are sprouted, the recipe comes together very quickly and easily. We use the sprouted lentil raw here, like we do in our traditional falafels, same idea. 🙂
Allow 24-36 hours for sprouting your lentils.
Sprouted Lentil Burger Ingredients
- Sprouted lentils- use black, green or brown lentils ( allow 24- 36 hours- see recipe card)
- Cooked brown rice- we use this as the binder here.
- Walnuts– lightly toasted ( or sub pecans or sunflower seeds)
- Miso paste ( feel free to use GF chickpea miso paste) – for depth of flavor.
- Extra Virgin olive oil– to add richness.
- Whole grain mustard- for a kick of flavor.
- Spices: Granulated garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper
- Fresh herbs– scallions, cilantro parsley, or basil, etc.
- Toasted sesame seeds- for coating the burgers, adding great texture and flavor.
How to make Sprouted Lentil Burgers
Sprout the lentils. In the morning, place 1 cup dry whole lentils and 3-4 cups water in a large mason jar and soak all day (8 hours) on the counter.In the evening, drain well. Turn the jar on its side, letting the lentils spread out a bit. Let the lentils continue to sit on the counter overnight. Once you see the tiny tip of the white sprout begin to emerge, they are ready. This generally takes 24-30 hours.
Combine. Place the raw sprouted lentils (drained well), the cooked brown rice, toasted walnuts, miso, oil, mustard, garlic, salt, spices and pepper in the food processor and pulse repeatedly until combined well and becomes a coarse, sturdy dough.
Do not overprocess. You want it coarse and textured, not smooth; otherwise, it can get pasty!
Form. Using wet hands, form into burgers. Wet hands make this so much easier and not sticky!
Sprinkle both sides with toasted sesame seeds for added flavor and texture. I find this really enhances the lentil burgers and helps keep them together.
Refrigerate 15 minutes (or up to 24 hours)while you heat the grill ( or pan).
Pan-sear or grill the lentil burgers, finishing them off in the oven for a few minutes.
Look how beautifully they hold up on the grill!
Storing your Lentil Burgers
At this point, after they are grilled or pan seared, you could wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
What to serve with Lentil Burgers
Create a burger with a bun and all your favorite fixings or make a burger bowl! Here are our favorite accompaniments:
- Sourdough Buns!
- Chipotle Mayo
- Pickled onions!
- Beet kraut or try these pickled beets
- grilled onions, tomatoes, pickles
Here, we made some quick-pickled beets. The quick-pickled beets pair deliciously with the Sprouted Lentil Burgers and are also great in salads and Buddha bowls.
To make the quick pickled beets…simply peel and grate and simmer in the pickling liquid for a couple of minutes before cooling. Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
Assemble and enjoy!
More favorite Vegetarian Burgers
- Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers
- Amazing Black Bean Burgers (in under 30 mins!)
- Burger Bowl
- Spicy Miso Portobello Mushroom Burger (Vegan)
- Falafel Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce!
Lentil Burgers
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main, vegan, sandwich, Legumes
- Method: grilled, stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A tasty recipe for Sprouted Lentil Burgers- vegan, gluten-free adaptable, these burgers can be grilled! (Inspired by Minimalist Baker’s Grillable Blackbean Burgers) Allow 24-36 hours to sprout the lentils.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sprouted black, green or brown lentils ( see notes)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup walnuts- lightly toasted ( or pecans or sunflower seeds)
- 1 tablespoon miso paste ( or use chickpea miso if GF)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic ( or onion)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2–4 tablespoons fresh herbs- scallions, cilantro parsley, basil, etc.
- 2–3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Recipe for Chipotle Mayo go here
Quick Pickled Beets
- 1 raw beet, the size of a tennis ball or smaller, peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar or alternative sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional additions- thinly sliced shallot or red onion, whole coriander, cumin or fennel seeds
Instructions
- Sprout the Lentils. In the morning, place 1 cup dry whole lentils and 3-4 cups water in a large mason jar and soak all day ( 8 hours) on the counter. In the evening, drain well. Turn jar on its side letting lentils spread out a bit and let the lentils continue to sit on the counter overnight. Once you see the tiny tip of the white sprout begin to emerge, they are ready. Generally takes 24-30 hours.
- Combine. Place 1 ½ cups of the raw sprouted lentils (drained well) cooked rice, toasted walnuts, miso, oil, mustard, garlic, salt, spices and pepper in the food processor and pulse repeatedly until combined well and becomes a course, sturdy dough. DO NOT OVER PROCESS. You want it to be coarse, not smooth, otherwise, it may get pasty!
- Taste for salt. If it tastes bland, check that the miso was properly mixed in (give a few stirs with a spoon, look for miso clump and pulse again).
- Form. Place a piece of parchment on a small sheet pan or large plate. Sprinkle the parchment with sesame seeds. With wet hands divide dough into four balls and form 4 burgers, about 1 inch thick. Place on the parchment and coating both sides with sesame seeds.
- Refrigerate. Place in the fridge uncovered (at least 15 minutes- to firm up).
- Grill or pan sear. Preheat grill to medium high heat and oven to 350F Grease the grill. When hot, sear the lentil burgers until generous grill marks appear, about 4-5 minutes on each side, then place in oven to continue warming all the way through, 10 more minutes ( or move to cooler part of the grill). You can also pan-sear these over medium heat with a little olive oil, until golden brown, and finish them in a 350F oven.
- At this point, build your burgers, or wrap and refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
To make quick pickled beets. Bring liquids, sugar, salt and any spices to a simmer in a small pot on the stove. add grated beets and onion. Stir, simmer for a couple minutes before chilling in the fridge.
Make sure lentils and rice are drained well before processing. You don’t want any extra liquid. Do not overprocess—you want a coarse texture here!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hearty burger patty
- Calories: 227
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 4.3 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.7 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Hi Sylvia,
This recipe sounds great. What can I substitute for miso/chickpea paste? That’s not a staple item I normally keep in the pantry.
Thank you
Hi Juliette -you could leave it out and add a tiny bit of soy sauce for depth? Or just more salt?
These were great! I love the sesame seeds, but I usually only have the black ones on hand. I just made another batch & put them in the freezer. Any recommendations for heating them back up after they’ve been frozen?
I usually thaw in the fridge overnight, then put them in a toaster oven to reheat ( if they were pan seared already).
Seriously, amazing!!!! Made them without the sesame seeds and a garlic alioli. LOVED THIS!!!!
Awesome Patricia! glad you enjoyed!
My first veggie burger! I made mini ones that I can use in sliders, pitas, wraps, and salads. I taste tested mine on a romaine leaf with your yummy chipotle mayo, a tomato slice, and then also added your pickled onions and cilantro mint chutney that I love on so many foods. Nice texture and flavor! I’ll have to adventure into pickled beets and your sourdough. Having fun with your recipes.
Thanks Lisa!
Another winning recipe, Sylvia!!!
I didn’t have fresh chopped herbs, but added a dash of smoked paprika per another reader’s comment. Subbed half of the toasted walnuts with extra lentils.
I also mixed the olive oil, mustard, miso paste together before adding to the food processor (so the miso wouldn’t clump and cause me to over mix the ingredients to a paste).
I didn’t have time to chill them before frying, so I made mini-sliders instead (easier to flip) and served them in corn tortillas with plain yogurt and chopped arugula (because that’s what I had in the fridge)
More of a taco/falafel fusion than a burger – but still really yummy!
Deeeelicious! My new go to. Thank you <3
Mine definitely fell apart but I think I strayed from the recipe fairly extensively so I wouldn’t hold that against them. The flavour is fantastic! And I have been eating them on top of salads, since they wont stay together.
I made these because I accidentally opened a can of lentils and didn’t want to waste them but now i really want to remake them properly with sprouted lentils!
I also froze mine right away before cooking and pan fry them directly from frozen which might also be why they fell apart… but I will definitely try this one again more consistently with the recipe.
Are the freezable? should i freeze them before or after cooking?
I would freeze after cooking. 😉
These are addictive. I didn’t have walnuts so I used about 1/2 cup tahini and left out the olive oil, and used cornmeal to dust instead of sesame seeds. This made the burgers kind of pasty but they were still tasty! The tahini was a little strong so next time I will substitute a mix of cashew and tahini butter if I still don’t have walnuts and also mix in a little coconut flour. Thank you for this imaginative version of the Minimalist baker recipe, which I also tried and found different enough that I think of your recipe as very original. So glad to have found this site as the recipes look terrific, healthy and about the right level of gourmet for me.
Awesome 🙌 Great to hear and glad you enjoyed this!
My vegetarian burgers were very thick and dense. I’m sure these were packed with protein and healthy nutrients but I’d like to find a way to make these more moist. Thank goodness for the beet slaw and condiments.
These Lentil burgers we could Eat every night! I served them on a ciabatta roll, toasted with red onion & a beautiful homegrown heirloom tomato slice 😋Best ever burger!
Thanks Karin and happy you enjoyed it!
I made these last night for dinner the lentils were pretty far along and very much had a substantial tail and turning into sprouts so I thought it may not work though they came out excellent!
I used some raw onion and garlic in the recipe and since I did not have access to the fresh herbs I used some smoked paprika powder instead which gave them a wonderful flavor.
I do not have a grill so sautéd them in Coconut oil and love the way the sesame seeds became a bit of a crunchy coating on the exterior of the burger and then popped them in the oven like you suggested. They tasted great and I love how much protein these provide. Very simple to make and I will make them again! Thabk you! Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
BEST veggie burger I have EVER made. LOVED everything about it ! Great flavour and texture. I did use tamari almonds tho, maybe a benefit to flavour. Flavour is what ever you season it with …. definitely keeping this recipe 😉
I sprouted lentils for the first time and made these delicious burgers tonight – so good! My 18 years old said they were “tasty.” (high compliment). I threw in a handful of fresh chives and parsley from the garden, didn’t over process the mixture, and made 4 good-sized burgers. I pan fried them in olive oil on the stove, and the sesame seeds gave them an incredible crust. Served over a bed of spinach with pickled golden beets, and a little yogurt and dill sauce I made, and these are now a family staple. Yum!!
Thanks Angie- so happy this worked out!
I am a huge fan of veggie burgers and was excited to try these. The flavor was off and the texture was really strange. Pasty and uninteresting. To be fair, I didn’t have the sesame seeds but what a disappointment.
Sorry about that Kim. I may have to remake this one. It’s designed to be a like a falafel in a way. But with soaked lentils instead of chickpeas. The sesame does add good texture and nutty crunch.
It’s become a favorite burger for me
Great to hear! Thanks, I like this one too!
What other nuts would work best in this recipe? Does it work similarly with quinoa in place of brown rice?
I haven’t tried it with another grain, but I suspect quinoa would work. Also Pecans.
Taste was good, although was a little hard to cook they’d fell apart as I’d try to flip them… other than that I loved all the ingredients . I would make them again!
I found this recipe as I have recently started sprouting again, and wanted a way to use my sprouted lentils, which were probably more sprouted than this recipe calls for. Anyway, I made this recipe on Friday for a “treat night” burger meal, and it was delicious. It was so good to have a vegan burger patty that is firm enough to mould easily, but still tender enough to taste delicious. I will be making these again!!
These burgers are delicious. The ingredients blend together so well. The sesame seeds add crispness and smokey flavor. Well done!
Im so glad you liked them!
This is by far the best veggie burger recipe I’ve made in 14 years of being a vegetarian. Thank you so much!
Yay Bia! Im so glad you liked it!!
These came out delicious. I didn’t have walnuts so I subbed 1/4 cup psyllium husk and 1/2 cup almond flour. I also used quinoa in place of brown rice and added cumin and a little turmeric powder. Texture and taste was great.
I love how you adapted! Great job!!!
perfect!
Could I replace the cooked brown rice with brown rice flour?, and would it be possible to dehydrate these burgers rather than cooking.
Jim, I’m unsure on both. I’ve only made them this way, but you can always try and see what happens. 🙂 Let us know…I’m soooo curious!
Sylvia, this looks perfect for my now-vegan hubby! What other nuts would you suggest in place of walnuts, which he can’t eat?
How about toasted pecans?
Sylvia you are an artist!!! This is amazing
Ooo, this looks tasty- and I already have most of the ingredients on hand! I just need to pick up a beet and some whole grain mustard. I think I know what I’m having for dinner! I