Easy Vegan Walnut Lentil Burgers

Homemade veggie burgers are so much better than store-bought! Pile your vegan Walnut Lentil Burgers high with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, or whatever your favorite burger fixin’s are! This lentil burger patty recipe is easy to make, and the patties freeze easily. They're vegan and gluten-free.

Lentil Walnut Burgers

This recipe came about because I was trying to cook through my pantry a few years ago.

I have a little bit of a food hoarding problem. As far as problems go, it’s pretty low on the urgency scale, but I do have a pantry (and fridge and freezer) overflowing with food.

At first glance, one might not even notice that I have a problem. I have a touch of OCD, so everything is neatly organized. I keep most of my grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and flours in labeled jars. Some are in the pantry while others are in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh.

On closer inspection, it’s easy to see where the problem lies. I have a tendency to buy an ingredient for a particular recipe I’m working on and then just put what’s left in the pantry afterward with no plan for using it.

I’ve had a small jar of lentils in the pantry for quite a while, and my goal early on in the month was to make something with it. Since it’s almost summer, lentil soup didn’t seem appropriate. I also had an inordinate amount of rolled oats and a bag of walnuts lurking in the freezer. A plan to make Walnut Lentil Burgers was hatched.

This recipe is based on my favorite lentil loaf. Leftovers of that beloved loaf make excellent sandwich filling, so why not skip the loaf and go straight to the sandwich?

What You Need

• Walnuts
• Rolled oats
• Cooked brown lentils
• Garlic
• Onion
• Tomato paste
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Dried thyme
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper, optional

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

How to make Vegan Lentil Burgers

These veggie burgers are easy to make and chances are that, like me, you already have a lot of the ingredients on hand.

• First you grind walnuts and rolled oats in a food processor until they resemble a course meal. Be careful not to over process them, or you’ll end up with walnut butter.
• Then you add the rest of the burger ingredients to the food processor, and pulse until everything is combined well.
• Next you form the burgers into four patties. If you have one, a ring mold will help shape them, but forming patties by hand is completely fine.
• Once the patties are formed, you bake them for about 24 minutes, flipping them at the halfway point. 
• Finally, you serve the burgers on whole wheat buns with your favorite toppings.

How to Toast Walnuts

Toasting the walnuts really brings out their flavor. You can toast them in a dry pan on the stove over medium heat. Simply stir them occasionally. Or you can pop them in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes. 

It’s important to keep an eye on them however you cook them, though, as they can go from almost-done to super-burnt in a matter of seconds. I know this from lots of experience!

Customizing Your Burger

I use brown lentils when I make this recipe, but it will work with red, green, or black lentils, too.

Pretty much another bean can be used, if you don't like lentils. I've made them with black beans and they were terrific!

If you're allergic to nuts, you can double the amount of rolled oats used.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your rolled oats are gluten-free.

Serving Your Burgers

These burgers hearty and filling, so I have a feeling that even die-hard omnivores will enjoy them. I like to top them with my favorite cashew cheese sauce, lots of pickles, and lettuce and tomato. They would also be delicious with caramelized onions and mushrooms, vegan pepper jack cheese and jalapeños, or even hot sauce.

Serve them alongside

• Grilled Street Fair Corn
• German Potato Salad
• Cruciferous Crunch Salad
• Tomato and Vegan Feta Pasta Salad

Storing Your Burgers

Cooked burgers will stay fresh for about 3 days in the fridge. If you'd like to freeze them, allow them to cool completely, then place slices of parchment paper between them and place them in an air-tight container or freezer bag.

They can be stored in the freezer for about a month. To reheat them, thaw them in the fridge or counter and then pan fry them for a few minutes, or pop them into a 400° oven for about 10 minutes.

Other veggie burgers you might like include:

• Chipotle Lentil Burgers
• Hajiki Tofu Burgers
• Hoppin' John Burgers
• Teriyaki Black Bean Burgers

Other lentil recipes you might enjoy include:

• Spicy Lentil and Carrot Soup
• Lentil Loaf with Cashew Gravy
• Shepherd's Pie Baked Potatoes