Herbed Lentil ‘Burger' + Yogurt Mint Sauce

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20-30 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

Trust me, these are delicious; a far cry from the bland and over-processed versions. Even my 10 year old daughter ate them with joy! Try and shape these when room temperature or chilled as they’re easier to form. Eat with a big green salad or smoked salmon.

Ingredients

1 cup French lentils
1 bay leaf (optional)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained well
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for searing cakes
3 large shallots, small diced
Sea salt
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, grated
½ cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped dill
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

For the mint yogurt sauce

10oz. whole milk yogurt (I used Greek)
2 tablespoons minced dill
10 fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
1 very small cove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
Pinch black pepper

Chef Tips

use sprouted gluten free oats for a gluten free product. I’ve also made these with black lentils and the results are still great. I made these from start to finish in 45 minutes. I recommend making the mixture a day prior so the next day you just cook them.

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse lentils and place in a small pot. Cover with 1 inch of filtered water, add bay leaf and kombu and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender, but not falling apart. Remove from heat and compost bay leaves and kombu. Strain lentils and set aside to cool and drain well.

Step 2

Place chickpeas in a large bowl and mash, using a potato masher. Set aside.

Step 3

Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat; add shallots and cook, stirring for about 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and garlic and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add zucchini and a pinch of salt; cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and add to the chickpea mixture. Remove from heat and add to the chickpeas.

Step 4

Place oats in a spice grinder or food processor and pulse briefly 3 times, oats should be coarsely ground. Add them to the bowl, along with capers, dill, parsley, cilantro, mint, balsamic vinegar and lentils. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly brush with olive oil and set aside.

Step 6

Preheat a cast iron pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Using a 1/3 cup dry measure; rinse with water and press cake mixture into measure and then flip onto tray. It helps if you rinse measure occasionally, so the mixture comes out easily. You could also shape these by hand. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Sear cakes in the pan with a little olive oil until golden brown. About 2 minutes per side. Place back on baking tray.

Step 7 (for the mint yogurt sauce)

Place everything in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve; slide a spatula under each cake and flip onto plates. Top with yogurt mint sauce.

Herbed Lentil ‘Burger’ + Yogurt Mint Sauce