No collection of vegan recipes can be complete without a vegan burger recipe – or two. It takes only four ingredients to make my new Vegan Lentil Burger patty. It’s perfect with the sweet and spicy flavors of the creamy Mustard Sauce with Maple I created specifically for this burger.
There are a few things that I could never live without: my bed, the sun, good food. And with good food I mean something that fills me and makes me satisfied.
At the same time, it should be healthy, too.
Sounds difficult? It is not, trust me. But what comes to mind to you first when you think about food that makes you really happy?
Sometimes it can be a good bowl of warm soup, especially in winter. Some other times, a fresh, fruit salad.
But the one food that always works for me is a stunning, tasty burger, made from fresh ingredients.
Whenever I cook, I want to have fun. And I don’t know about you guys but I have lots of fun making burgers. Yes, and eating burgers.
But isn’t that the whole point of happy cooking?
A combination of fun in creation and enjoying your creativity. At least that’s what drives me to come up with new recipes for Contentedness Cooking.
Now the versatility of burger is what makes them also super attractive to me. Simple and delicious, you can combine so many flavors in one sandwich.
Depending on your mood, you can make it more hearty, pump up the spices, or give it a stronger veggie note.
After my last burger recipe, the Vegan Buffalo Burger based on kidney beans and tempeh, it was the right time trying something new for me: a Vegan Lentil Burger – incredibly delicious and an easy recipe as usual.
Do you know my other lentil recipes? Like the Coconut-Mango Stew or my Couscous Lentil Pilaf?
Why lentils? Because (a) I just like their taste and (b) they are so good for you:
They are full of good nutrients, are a good source of plant-based protein and are have a number of health benefits such as low cholesterol, improving heart health, digestive health, increasing energy, and helping with weight loss.
If you want to know more about this, check out the post about the “7 Health Benefits of Lentils” on MindBodyGreen.
The best thing about the Vegan Lentil Burger recipe – besides its taste, obviously – is that you need as little as four ingredients to make the patties: lentils, raisins, walnuts, and gluten free bread crumbs.
A combination of more earthy flavors (lentil) with a touch of sweetness from the raisins and, of course, the nuttily walnut component.
Here this is complemented by the special Mustard Sauce with Maple: again a mix of spicy and sweet.
But that sauce is not just amazing as a topping for the Vegan Lentil Burger. I also recommend adding about 2 tablespoons of that sauce to the burger patty mixture for an extra flavor kick.
Trust me, you will love it.
You can either bake the patties for the vegan Lentil Burger in the oven or fry them in a pan with a little bit of your favorite oil.
For the assembly of the burger: be creative! I used lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, roasted red onions in addition to the Mustard Sauce.
Do you like this combination? I’m curious to hear what you think of my Vegan Lentil Burger! You can leave feedback below, or write me on Facebook!
Cheers, Florian.
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No collection of vegan recipes can be complete without a vegan burger recipe – or two. It takes only four ingredients to make my new Lentil Burger patty. It’s perfect with the sweet and spicy flavors of the creamy Mustard Sauce with Maple I created specifically for this burger
Ingredients
For the Mustard Sauce:
- 3 Tbs yellow mustard
- 4 Tbs maple syrup
- pinch curry (optional)
For the Vegan Lentil Burger patties:
- 1 cup (200 g) uncooked or two 14 oz (400 g) cans lentils
- 1/3 cup (50 g) raisins
- 1 cup gf bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup (60 g) crushed walnuts
- 2 Tbs Mustard Sauce (optional)
- salt
Additional burger toppings (optional):
- lettuce
- tomato
- roasted onions
Instructions
For the Mustard Sauce:
- Combine the yellow mustard and the maple syrup in a small bowl. Add a pinch of curry if you like and whisk together.
For the Vegan Lentil Burger patties:
- If you use uncooked lentils, cook them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Else rinse the canned lentils. Transfer to a blender.
- Add the raisins and walnuts to the lentils. Blend until you get a chunky mixture.
- In a separate bowl, combine the lentil mixture with bread crumbs. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so that the bread crumbs can absorb excess moisture.
- Form patties an either bake them on the oven at 390°F/200°C or fry them in a pan with a bit of oil (recommended).
To assemble the burger:
- Use your favorite bun and burger toppings to assemble the Vegan Lentil Burger.
Veggie Inspired says
16. October 2015 at 18:53I am impressed! I would have NEVER though to put raisins in a burger, but I imagine they are the sweet glue that holds this burger all together. Genius, really! I mean, that burger looks like a hamburger. You could fool more omnivores with this baby, I imagine. And could you PLEASE please tell me your secret for taking such beautiful bright clear photos?!?! I need some lessons!! 🙂 Just gorgeous!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:47You are right Jen, the raisins do help with making the burger hold together. And the add the light, sweet note to it that I like a lot.
I’m glad that you like my pictures so much. But there is really no big secret. I’m not using any special equipment. It’s all just natural light (which makes things a bit tougher in these short days) and a bit of the usual playing around with the exposure. I even take my picture free hand. No tripod. I feel more flexible with that. Of course it also means that I take loads of pictures out of which only a small number really look good. But when they do, they are really good 🙂
The vegan 8 says
16. October 2015 at 19:31So gorgeous and colorful Florian!! I make that same dressing, just with chili powder instead of curry! I serve it over Mexican rice and I imagine it would be soooo heavenly on a burger too! I love that this burger is made with lentils and walnuts, yummy!! I’ve never had a lentil burger before, just a lentil loaf that I make, but I definitely need to try a burger now! I will definitely have to try this because it’s so simple and I would definitely add some good old hot spices and that sauce for lots of flavor, omg, that would be excellent! Love how beautiful it all looks!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:50Thank you again, Brandi. I totally see that adding more hot spices to the burger will rock. I should try this for myself as well. And the idea of having Mexican rice with such a mustard sauce or dressing sounds amazing too. Need to check that out!
Peter Block says
16. October 2015 at 19:39My wife and I are so into lentils these days. I am all over this recipe and love the sauce.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:50Thank you, Peter.
Serena Bakes says
16. October 2015 at 19:40I can’t wait to try this!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:51🙂 Let me know how you like it.
Chrisy Elliott says
16. October 2015 at 22:24Your recipes are always so inspiring 😀 I could SO go for one of these right now. And the photos, just gorgeous!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:51Thanks a lot, Chrisy. Feel free to have as many as you like! 🙂
Rachel says
17. October 2015 at 0:46I love how you styled this baby! I don’t follow a vegan or a vegetarian diet, but how I love lentil burgers. Pinning for later!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
17. October 2015 at 8:52Thanks Rachel. I’m happy that you like the recipe and the picture so much! 🙂
AvocadoPesto says
17. October 2015 at 17:31Love the sound of these! Totally intrigued that they’re made with raisins – definitely a surprise ingredient. I’ve made all sorts of vegan veggie burgers but never with lentils so will have to give this a go : )) Need to also try the vegan buffalo burger too !
dinnerthendessert says
17. October 2015 at 17:57yum!! Looks amazing! I normally go the lazy route and buy vegan burger patties but I will totally try this!
MomOnTimeout says
18. October 2015 at 17:23That is one gorgeous burger! I’ve never had a lentil burger before – I can’t wait to try this one!
Del's cooking twist says
18. October 2015 at 19:24This veggie burger is just “Wooowww”, I simply love it!! And stunning pictures! All I want right now is to grab the burger through the creen! 🙂 Good job, Florian, I can’t wait to try it!
Tara says
18. October 2015 at 20:01I love lentils, I have got to try this recipe soon, looks amazing!
Nicole Neverman says
19. October 2015 at 6:50This burger is just gorgeous! That pattie sounds totally amazing! 🙂
Patty Haxton Anderson says
19. October 2015 at 13:56I think your photographs for this came out simply stunning.
Katie @ Recipe for Perfection says
21. October 2015 at 12:40The mustard sauce that tops this off makes it perfect!
Sarah Trivuncic says
21. October 2015 at 12:56These look and sound divine! I want one!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
22. October 2015 at 0:08These look so, so delicious! Your photos make me want to dive right in.
Susan Gordon says
22. October 2015 at 18:45This looks great. How many burgers will this make?
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
22. October 2015 at 22:52Hi Susan, it makes 4 burgers!
Susan Gordon says
23. October 2015 at 5:39Thanks, Florian. I will definitely make these. I made my
own mustard, today (from Miyoko Schinner’s “Homemade Vegan Pantry” book), so
that I can control the amount of sodium (as mustard has a lot and I eat a lot
of it)—so I am ready to make these burgers, as soon as I buy some lentils.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
23. October 2015 at 8:40Awesome, let me know what you think, Susan!
Kim Beaulieu says
24. October 2015 at 2:27I’ve never seen a more gorgeous burger. And this is coming from a big carnivore who eats a lot of burgers. This is absolutely stunning Florian. It should be on a poster or in a commercial. Just gorgeous.
Jimmy Notch says
18. November 2015 at 21:43Dude….these burgers are amazing. Thanks for the recipe. Will probably be making a batch every week.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
19. November 2015 at 1:26Thank you so much for making it and for your amazing feedback!
Michelle Howard says
18. December 2015 at 4:15This was by far one of the best vegan burgers we have tried.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
22. December 2015 at 18:08Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback , Michelle! That means a lot to me!
Yo's Lemons says
30. December 2015 at 7:57These look so good! will be making them this week!
Laura says
9. February 2016 at 6:16Made these for dinner tonight and wow they are so delicious! Thanks for the recipe! Found your blog through Epicurious last week and I’ve bookmarked tons of your recipes–they all look so good! I finally decided on what to make first 🙂 YUM!!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
9. February 2016 at 9:17Wow, Laura! So happy that you made those and that they worked so well! Amazing! 🙂
Cabou Cabou says
16. April 2016 at 21:44thank you for this recipe.
It’s simply the fast and best veggie burger.
the kids love and this is one little victory.
thx
😉
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
16. April 2016 at 23:22Happy to hear that! Thank you for your fantastic feedback. Glad the whole family enjoyed it so much.
Kathryn Morden says
20. April 2016 at 1:33This was nothing short of FANTASTIC and everyone I had over for dinner agreed (and none of us are even vegan). A+++ recipe – thanks!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
20. April 2016 at 8:14Your comment totally made my day! Thanks so much for your feedback, Kathryn!
Dan says
9. May 2016 at 22:11These came out delicious. I did however, have an issue with the texture. When I fried them they came apart and when I baked them they came out very hard. Any suggestions how to fry them? And how long would you suggest baking them? Also just want to confirm that I made it correctly – you’re supposed to mix the breadcrumbs in the lentil mixture not coat the burgers with them, right?
Thanks!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
9. May 2016 at 22:33Hi Dan! Sorry to hear that you had an issue with my Lentil Burgers. Those are my most popular recipe and I get so much amazing feedback on these. You should fry them with a little bit of olive oil. Please make sure the oil is hot, otherwise the patties will soak up the oil and then I can imagine they might fall apart. Giving them into hot oil firms the outside and holds everything together. One flip after 2 or 3 minutes, that’s all. Other than that there is no big secret here. As for baking, it worked well for me to bake these for 20 minutes at 400 F. Of course it depends a bit on how big you make the patties. I also flipped them after about half that time. I put a second baking sheet or similar on top and then flipped that around quickly in one go. Works better for me than flipping each patty individually 😉
Oh, and the breadcrumbs are indeed to be mixed into the lentil mix.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions!
Dan says
9. May 2016 at 22:36Thanks for the quick reply and detailed feedback!!
Like I said these were very delicious – definitely plan on making them again and hopefully getting it right. Thanks for Sharing!
rachel ward says
24. July 2016 at 6:02Wow, this looks amazing! I’m ashamed to admit that while we have been plant based for over a year, I still haven’t made a from scratch burger. This is gonna have to be it!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
24. July 2016 at 10:22Let mew know what you think, Rachel!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
21. September 2016 at 17:46Oh. My. Goodness!! This looks outrageously good, Florian!
Nada says
1. November 2016 at 10:21This burger looks soooo delicious.. I don’t like raisins though, what is a good alternative? or should I just remove it?
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
1. November 2016 at 11:11Hi Nada! You can try dates, cranberries, apricots or just leave the raisins out. Hope it turns out delicious!
Kathryn Morden says
5. November 2016 at 20:12Hello Again! This burger has become a regular staple in our household, but so far I’ve only pan fried them. Do you have any recommendations for baking (time / temp / etc)? Thanks! Also, I have to tell you how refreshing your writing style is – in a world where so many food bloggers use so much hyperbole and “cutesy” language I really enjoy your straightforward style. Cheers!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
5. November 2016 at 21:15Hi Kathryn! Really happy to hear it’s a regular staple in your house! That’s the best compliment! Also glad you enjoy my writing style! You can bake the burgers at 400°F for around 20 minutes. What I also usually do is flipping them after about half that time. I put a second baking sheet or similar on top and then flipped that around quickly in one go. Works better for me than flipping each patty individually 😉
Eugenia Telleria says
9. January 2017 at 23:00New to the vegetarian world, and let’s just say this was phenomenal. The raisins added a touch of sweet. I was skeptical but now I’m hooked
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
9. January 2017 at 23:10Hi Eugenia! Thanks so much for your feedback, that makes me really happy!
Andrea Hernandez says
28. April 2017 at 0:59How many burgers does this make?
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
28. April 2017 at 7:36Hi Andrea! It makes 4 burgers!
sayingout says
8. May 2017 at 15:01Made it with reallybthick lentil soup and garlic. Husband won’t have raisins so I stirred in red berries, and nooch. Really lovely!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
8. May 2017 at 15:26Thanks so much for your feedback! Glad it turned out amazing and delicious!
Staci- Ann Curri says
8. September 2017 at 20:21Really wanna make this today but I dont hav walnuts or dijon mustard. Wat can i use to subsitute those?
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
8. September 2017 at 20:31Hi Staci! Use any nuts you like! Go for your favorite sauce!
Kellie Longhurst says
30. September 2017 at 1:23I think they would have tasted fine, however they were just crumbly and I felt like they didn’t cook right. Aside from just falling apart they remained just soggy. I waited to put them in the pan until the oil was hot but it did not seem to make a difference. So I am not sure what I could have done different.
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
30. September 2017 at 7:16Hi Kellie! Not sure what happened ! Was your oil hot enough when putting patties in the pan ? If not I would guess that the patties will soak up the oil and then I can imagine they might fall apart. Also make sure not to overprocess the texture, leave some texture.
Luīze Sniedze says
15. October 2017 at 17:47Omg. this is amazing. I just adjusted it a little bit, put almods and dates instead of walnuts and rasins, but it is so amazing. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
15. October 2017 at 19:16Thanks so much for your amazing feedback and making it! It sounds delicious, yum!
Frances says
5. December 2017 at 1:05Sounds like a fantastic recipe! Going to try them but fry them without oil. Will they hold up with one flip and no oil. I fry other bean burgers without oil and they do fine. Just wondering. Thx.
Florian says
5. December 2017 at 10:20Hi Frances! You need to bake these in the oven! Frying without any oil in the pan will not work, though.
Jo says
27. December 2017 at 20:14Just made these and I baked for 30 minutes. The outsides had a nice doneness but the insides were still wet. What should the interior be like? Nice flavor with raisins and walnuts.
Florian says
27. December 2017 at 20:18Hi Jo! Definitely not this way! I suggest bake them longer or fry them next time!
Marta Mendonça says
1. January 2018 at 20:25Hi there,
What type of lentils did you use? red? beluga?
Thanks,
Marta
Florian says
1. January 2018 at 20:28Hi Marta! I used brown lentils!
Sara says
2. March 2018 at 17:42What would be a substitute for the gf bread crumbs? My son has a wheat and rice allergy (among other things) and everything I’ve found that’s gf has rice flour in it.
Florian says
2. March 2018 at 17:55Hi Sara! I’ve never tried that before, but I could imagine 1/2 cup cooked polenta will do the trick to replace the breadcrumbs. I’m not sure how it will turn out, but I’m curious about your experience. Let me know if you give this a try.
Kelly says
11. May 2018 at 1:01I found these today on Pinterest and made them for dinner. I did not have walnuts so I substituted sunflower seeds. My husband and I both loved it! This will become a staple for sure! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Florian says
11. May 2018 at 14:00Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback, Kelly! Glad it was such a big hit with your husband!
Tanja says
12. May 2018 at 17:34I made this yesterday and it whas so good, especially the sauce. I’m going to put
that sauce on every salad I eat in the future.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Florian says
12. May 2018 at 17:42Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback, Tanja! One of my favorites! Really hope you’ll try lots of more recipes!
Kristen says
29. May 2018 at 2:58This was wonderful! My kids even gobbled this up! I added onion and garlic powders for flavor but did everything else according to the recipe. Thank you for an easy, healthy, and delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Florian says
29. May 2018 at 6:20You’re so welcome, Kirsten! Glad it was such a big hit with your kids! Thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback!
Adrienne says
4. June 2018 at 3:16I’ve been putting these on the back burner for about two weeks and finally decided to give them a try today. This simple recipe sounded so easy and delicious and it did not disappoint. I did not have regular bread crumbs so I used panko, which made the burgers a little granier and drier than they should have been – TOTALLY MY RESPONSIBILITY! – but I just fried in a bit more olive oil than suggested and they held together and turned out nicely.
One thing I will definitely do the next time is add garlic garlic garlic! Gotta have garlic! Other than that addition, this is a go-to recipe. The caramelized onions added a necessary and perfect sweetness and softness but I did not like the mustard-maple sauce. It will be “Just Mayo” for me next time. Thank you, Contentedness!
★★★★
Florian says
4. June 2018 at 5:53Thanks for your great feedback, Adrienne! You’re so welcome!
Kylie says
5. June 2018 at 11:09I just made these for myself and my husband – and wow…. they were amazing!!!
I actually cooked them in my air fryer and they turned out perfectly – held together well and the golden, crispy outer of the burger (courtesy of the air fryer) did the trick and gave them a burger-like consistency in the mouth.
The sauce was the best surprise – simply delicious!
These will be a regular on our vegan menu.
Thanks so much for a fantastic recipe.
Florian says
5. June 2018 at 11:19Hi Kylie! Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback! Glad these were such a big hit with you and your husband!
Courtney says
29. June 2018 at 18:39I was so skeptical about trying to make something taste like meat… but this came out amazing! I did add a couple more things to it though such as liquid smoke, lawry’s seasoning and Worcester sauce. I found the thinner the Patty and more area to fry, the closer the texture to meat. So excited to share with the husband (an avid meat lover) and the rest of the family!
★★★★★
Florian says
29. June 2018 at 19:10Thanks so much for your amazing feedback, Courtney! One of my favorites!
Becca says
27. July 2018 at 21:24I just made this recipe for dinner and it was amazing! My family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing – the mustard sauce is also to die for!!cant wait to check out your other recipes
★★★★★
Florian says
27. July 2018 at 21:26Hi Becca! Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback! Happy it was such a big hit with your family!
Valeria says
14. October 2018 at 7:01This recipe looks amazing!
I just have one question, can I freeze the burgers once done?
Since I live alone, I would like to store some of them
Florian says
14. October 2018 at 8:44Hi Valeria! I haven’t tried that before, but I would say why not. Let me know how it goes.
Deonilyn says
30. October 2018 at 2:04I tried your recipe. The mixture became too mushy, maybe because I put too much mustard. And instead of mixing the bread crumbs into the lentil mixture, I formed patties and let it sit on the bread crumbs haha my bad. I used almond instead of walnut because yhe latter is not available in my kitchen. I shallow fried it, the first batch crumbled while it was being cooked. I realized that my patties are too thin, so I changed its thickness. The second batch looked good. My friend told me, the patties were delicious. Thank you for the simple yet tastebuds satisfying ecipe
★★★★★
Deonilyn says
30. October 2018 at 2:18Simple template ingredients and procedure. Turned out delicious for me.
I used almond instead of walnut. Then I fried them, the first bacth were crumbling apart. Then I changed the thickness of the patty into thicker ones. That solved my problem. I even fried it with too little oil. It came out good.
I strained the cooked lentils to remove excess water but too much mustard will also affect its consistency.
Another mistake, i coat the patty witg breadcrumbs, lol my bad! Thank you for this simply amazing recipe.
★★★★★
Culinary School says
27. November 2018 at 15:54I love burgers, but my wife does not eat meat, so I was very happy when I saw this recipe, now I can cook not only a Burger but also my beloved wife. At what it looks so appetizing that I myself want to try it!
★★★★★
Florian says
27. November 2018 at 18:32One of my favorites! Enjoy!
Michele says
8. January 2019 at 17:39Ok, I do not normally leave comments (for good reason 🙂 ), but this recipe was beyond deserving! WOW was this good! I substituted (because I did not have) walnuts and gf bread crumbs with half raw pecans, half raw almonds, and old fashioned oats. I, also, used half raisins and half medjool dates, as I was almost out of raisins. This is, BY FAR, the BEST vegan burger I have ever had. VERY impressive. Glad I doubled the recipe, actually just ate two of them! Worth every star! Will definitely be making these again very soon.
★★★★★
Florian says
8. January 2019 at 17:46Thanks a bunch for your feedback and making it, Michele! That sounds delicious with the almonds and pecans! I’ll have to try next time!
Lindsey Roach says
27. January 2019 at 22:09Would panko bread crumbs work for this recipe?
Florian says
27. January 2019 at 22:11Panko will work, Lindsey!
Lindsey Roach says
9. February 2019 at 18:49These are so so sooo good! I was a bit skeptical once I got them in the frying pan, because they were a bit crumbly, but with the right technique, very doable! I just made them again this week (meaning 4 meals this past week) and I already want to make them again! The first time I didn’t use the mustard sauce, because I didn’t have maple syrup and they were delicious, but, man, with the mustard sauce they are even more delectable! Throw some carmelized red onion on top and call it a day! Thanks for such a delish recipe!
★★★★★
MONICA says
16. February 2019 at 0:32Well, I got here really late. Do you have any preference as to the color of lentils used? Thank you.
Florian says
16. February 2019 at 0:33Hi Monica! I like brown lentils most! Hope that helps!
Danielle says
4. March 2019 at 1:22These are some of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever made. The walnuts and raisins give it amazing flavor and texture. Making them again this week!!
★★★★★
Florian says
4. March 2019 at 5:18Thanks a bunch for your amazing feedback, Danielle! I hope you’ll find lots of more recipes to try!