Description
These Lentil-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Avocado Green Harissa are a flavorful and nutritious plant-based meal perfect for a wholesome lunch or dinner. Made with hearty lentils, chickpeas, oats, and fresh vegetables, these patties are pan-fried until golden and served with a creamy, spicy avocado green harissa sauce for a delightful twist on classic veggie burgers.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Patties
- 1 cup rolled oats (for oat flour)
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cooked lentils, towel-dried
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, towel-dried
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs (optional, such as parsley or cilantro)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Flour, for dusting (as needed)
- 2 tablespoons oil, for skillet cooking
Avocado Green Harissa
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 to 1 jalapeño or green chili, deseeded for less heat if desired
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
To Serve
- 6 burger buns, toasted (optional)
- Additional toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, red onion, etc.
Instructions
- Prepare Oat Flour: Place the rolled oats in a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Blend until the oats reach a fine, flour-like consistency. Set this oat flour aside for use in the burger mixture.
- Make the Burger Mix: Replace the blade in the food processor with the grating attachment and grate the carrot. Set grated carrot aside. Then swap back to the S-blade, roughly chop the onion and garlic, and pulse in the processor until they are finely chopped but not pureed.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the towel-dried lentils and chickpeas, eggs, prepared oat flour, optional fresh herbs, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper into the food processor. Pulse the mixture until it reaches a chunky hummus-like texture. Gently fold in the grated carrot by hand to retain texture.
- Shape Patties: Divide the mixture evenly into six portions. Form each portion into a patty about 1 inch thick. Lightly dust each side of the patties with flour to help in handling and prevent sticking during cooking.
- Cook the Burgers: Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook for approximately 4 1/2 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the patties are firm, golden brown, and cooked through. Add more oil as needed when cooking subsequent batches.
- Make Avocado Green Harissa: Clean the food processor bowl and combine all harissa ingredients except the olive oil—avocado, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, ground cumin, and salt. Blend the ingredients and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Burgers: If desired, toast the burger buns. Place each cooked patty on the bottom half of a bun, spread a generous amount of avocado green harissa over the patty, and add preferred toppings such as lettuce, tomato, or pickles. Top with the other half of the bun and serve immediately.
Notes
- Using freshly cooked and well-drained lentils and chickpeas helps the patties hold together better without being too wet.
- If you don’t have a food processor, finely mash the chickpeas and lentils by hand and grate the carrot with a box grater.
- For a vegan version, substitute eggs with flax eggs or mashed banana, though texture and binding may slightly differ.
- You can prepare the patties ahead of time and refrigerate them before cooking for up to 24 hours.
- Adjust the heat level of the avocado green harissa by varying the amount or type of green chili used.
- This recipe freezes well. Freeze uncooked patties separated by parchment paper and cook from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes per side.
