Today I’ll show you a great vegetarian burger version for your next grilling-at-home session – beetroot Beluga lentils burgers. This beyond meat burger will blow your mind and make your taste buds dance. It’s made of delicious patties, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fresh lamb lettuce and pickled onions. They are easy and quick to make, yet tasty and healthy. They are delicious either warm or cold, which makes them a great mid-week lunch idea, too.
Grilling season is almost here! And since it’s not so easy to go out and have a big gathering right now, I’ve got an awesome recipe for you, with which you can simply bring the grilling feeling to your home. When it comes to grilling, burgers are a must, either beef, pork, chicken or vegetarian. And, these beetroot Beluga lentils burgers are a perfect burger to try this summer.
Beluga lentils
Beluga lentils are small black lens-shaped lentils. They also look like Beluga caviar and they retain a bit of a shine when cooked. Therefore, they are called Beluga lentils. And since they are not so common as yellow, red or green lentils, they are also called gourmet lentils.
They are most widely used in Punjabi cuisine, while red, yellow, brown and green lentils are common all around the world. Lentils are high in protein, iron and fibre but low in calories. If you are vegetarian or vegan, they are a great substitute for meat, too.
Furthermore, Beluga lentils, not like other lentils, are really easy and quick to cook. In fact, you don’t need to soak them before cooking, the cooking takes around 20 minutes and they hold their shape when cooked. Because of an earthy flavour, they pair great with vegetables, fish and seafood. However, you can still make a stunning vegetarian burger, too. Wink.
Healthy vegetarian burger patties
I had no idea how easy making these beetroot Beluga lentils burger would be. I was nicely surprised. Shaping and browning them is quick and extremly easy. Plus, you don’t need any special equipment. In fact, a silicone spatula, your hands and a pan will do a great job. Wink.
So, Beluga lentils are just one of the healthy ingredients in this recipe. The second super ingredient is beetroot. As a result, the combination of the two is just wonderful. Besides looking great and tasting delicious, they make you feel full and energized throughout the day.
Beets are wonderful root vegetables, which can be prepared in many different ways. I like them either raw, roasted or cooked. They have a slightly earthy flavour but they taste also a bit sweet. They make a perfect combo with lentils and salad.
Additionally, if you’d like more lentil or beetroot recipes, check out the cherry tomatoes and brown lentils, the wonderful red lentil chili recipe, the summerish beetroot carpaccio, the lovely beetroot turmeric pancakes or this delicious fruity beetroot-raspberry detox soup.
In conclusion, one more tip on how to transfer the patties to the pan without misshaping them. After forming the patties, they will be soft. Therefore, you’ll need a sheet of parchment paper for help. By cutting the paper in four squares, you can place each patty on one of those and then nicely slide the paper on your hand, flip the patty in the pan and remove the paper.
Ingredients for 4 beetroot Beluga lentils burgers:
- 200 g Beluga lentils
- 1 red onion (half thinly sliced, half chopped)
- 200 g beetroot (cooked, grated)
- 70 g semolina
- salt
- 1 egg
- 2 handfuls of lamb lettuce
- 1 Tbsp of olive oil
- 3 Tbsp of vinegar
- some cream cheese (optional)
To begin, cook the Beluga lentils (around 20 minutes), rinse them under cold water, drain and put aside to cool down.
In the meantime, wash and drain the lamb lettuce and peel and thinly slice half of the onion. Then, in a small bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, salt and sliced onion. Marinate them until ready to serve.
Last but not least, grate the cooked beetroots, using the side with the small teardrop holes. Once the Beluga lentils are cold, add them to the beetroots and stir. Then, add the chopped onion (the other half you have left), an egg, salt and semolina. Stir to combine well.
Making the beetroot Beluga lentil patties
Furthermore, take a parchment paper and cut it in quarters (four squares). Spoon 1/4 of the burger mixture on one of the parchment paper’s pieces. Then, using a spatula and your hand, slightly flatten it (the patty should be around 2 cm thick and 10 cm wide) and at the same time give it a round patty-like shape. Continue with the rest and make three more patties.
At this point, heat some olive oil (3 Tbsp) in a large non-sticking frying pan. With one hand slightly lift the first parchment paper (by holding at one of the corners) and carefully slide with the other hand underneath it.
I made two patties at a time, in order to have more space to maneuver. Wink. Try to go as near as possible to the pan and then flip the patty in it. In case the form slightly breaks up, quickly put it back together using a spatula. Smooth the sides and flat the top. Do the same with the second patty.
Brown them for about 4 minutes and only then carefully but quickly flip them over. Again, if they misshape, just push everything back in place. Brown for another 3 minutes. Once the beetroot Beluga lentils burger are crispy on the outside, remove them from the pan and continue with the remaining patties.
Finally, arrange the lettuce and pickled onions on a large serving plate, top with beetroot Beluga lentils burgers and maybe add some pieces of some cream cheese here and there. A beautiful and healthy meal like this is perfect for a family lunch, brunch or dinner with your friends. For the real burger experience you can also put everything between two buns.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
