Lentil Patties with Creamy Feta Sauce
These lentil patties are made from tiny, quick cooking beluga lentils. Sweet potato is the sneaky ingredient that beefs up these patties and gives them a slightly sweet flavor. Spices like cumin, sumac, and oregano take you straight to the Mediterranean. It's finished with a creamy feta sauce!
Servings: 4 patties
Calories: 363.5kcal
Equipment
- NonStick Skillet
Ingredients
For the Burgers:
- ⅓ cup dry black beluga lentils or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- ½ medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 4 cups water
- ½ small red onion finely chopped
- 1 large egg or 1 flax egg
- ⅔ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs or oat flour
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 4 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground sumac optional
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Nonstick pan spray
For the Toppings/Burger Buns:
- 4 whole wheat or sprouted wheat burger buns
- 2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes cored and thinly sliced
- Sliced cucumber
- Diced red onions
- Fresh baby spinach
For the Feta-Mint-Yogurt Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Make the burgers:
- In a medium pot, add the lentils, sweet potato and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the lentils and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the mixture.
- Transfer the lentil mixture to a food processor. To the lentil mixture, add the onion, egg, panko breadcrumbs through salt and pepper. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about five 1-second pulses.
- Shape the mixture into four 4- to 4½-inch patties, each about ½ inch thick.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat the skillet with nonstick pan spray and add two of the lentil burgers. Cook until the burgers are browned, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining patties.
Make the sauce:
- To a medium bowl, add the feta cheese, then use a fork to crumble it. Stir in the yogurt and mint.
- Place a lentil burger on 4 burger bottoms, top each with some of the feta sauce and your veggies. Top with the remaining burger buns. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the lentils and sweet potatoes. You want them to be be fork tender, but not falling apart.
- A food processor is exactly what you need to get the best texture for these falafel burgers. It will chop the ingredients perfectly.
- You can double this recipe easily to make 8 burger patties if you're serving this to friends and family.
- To pan sear these burgers, place them in a well oiled skillet and don't move them until they form a golden crust, which will help the burger patties stay together. They should be crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. If you're having trouble getting the mixture to stay together, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour (or until the mixture is the consistency you want).
- To make these vegan, omit the feta sauce and use tahini instead; and use a flax egg instead of a regular egg.
- To make these gluten free, use gluten free burger buns and oat flour or gluten free flour in the patties.
- For alternative sauce ideas, try these falafel burgers with hummus, siracha, tahini, or tzatziki sauce!
- Serving suggestions: pair with sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, or zucchini chips and a Mediterranean inspired salad
- Feel free to switch up the whole wheat burger bun for a whole wheat pita, sprouted wheat bun (or bread), or even lettuce wraps!
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger + bun | Calories: 363.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.6g | Protein: 18.2g | Fat: 8.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 55.1mg | Sodium: 1406.1mg | Potassium: 243.4mg | Fiber: 11.4g | Sugar: 3.8g