Recipe: Cashew Red Lentil Burgers
Post by Olivia Blodgett, Registered Dietitian and Owner
This recipe is one of my favorites for personal chef clients. The burgers are nutritious, packed full of flavor and are perfect from a culinary perspective, as they form into patties easily and reheat well. Enjoy!
Cashew and Red Lentil Burgers
(from Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick Goudreau)
Serves: 6(Leftovers freeze well!)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 3 carrots, diced
- ½ cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 cup oats, ground into flour in the food processor, or store-bought oat flour
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine water, carrots, lentils and ½ tsp salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover and simmer until lentils are tender and broken down, 12-14 minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing out the excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and cool for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the cashews in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often to prevent burning. Remove from heat when golden and fragrant. Let cool.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Place the cooled cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the lentils and the onion mixture and pulse until the mixture is cohesive but still somewhat textured. Transfer to a bowl and add enough oat flour to create a consistency that enables you to form cohesive patties. Season with salt and pepper and form into six patties, ½ inch thick.
Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the patties until evenly browned and heated, about 4 minutes per side.