Easy Vegan, Gluten Free Red Lentil Burgers (Meatless Monday)

Free of dairy, gluten, nuts, soy, or corn

When we were packing up our apartment to move last month I was trying to  avoid grocery shopping, and to use up any leftover scraps of food kicking around in the cupboards. One of our last days there I pulled out a jar with a handful of red lentils, and another with quinoa. Luckily, I had some spices and a few tablespoons of GF flour and a couple of slices of onion. And so, this simple vegan burger patty was born. 

And it was so good I've already made it again. And they're husband approved. He ate them for dinner the other night, then lunch again the next day.  They also freeze well (info below), for quick meals.

These gluten free and vegan patties are very simple, low ingredient, and fairly cheap. They're also crazy healthy and packed with protein. You can serve them as burgers, or as patties with veggies on the side, or over lettuce with salad dressing. Their golden colour is rather fetching on a bed of greens...

The original inspiration for this recipe came from a similar one on the MindBodyGreen website. That one called for a couple of eggs, and was served with a basil cream sauce. I've cut the eggs out, changed the spices a bit, and simplified the process to cut back on dishes and cooking time.

These also freeze well. You can freeze the patties on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, then package them in a freezer-safe container, or cook first then freeze for super quick lunches, snacks, or dinners.

      Ingredients for Vegan, Gluten Free Red Lentil Patties (makes about 14 patties)

1c uncooked quinoa, rinsed through a fine mesh sieve

1c dry red lentils,also rinsed through a fine sieve

Approx. 1/4 c finely diced onion

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cumin

2 1/4 c water

¼ c white or brown rice flour (I haven't tried this with any other flour, but I imagine that chickpea or sorghum flour would also be good)

Salt and pepper to taste if desired

Directions

In a medium-sized sauce pot, add quinoa, lentils, onion, salt, turmeric, ginger, cumin, and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. 

Stir in flour. (Now is the time to adjust spices if desired) While still warm, begin to form patties. At first these may seem too mushy to form patties. Don't worry. They'll stick. 

To form the patties, I use the ringed lid of a Mason jar and scoop out about 1/3 cup mash into the ring and flatten them out on a sheet of parchment paper.

Just to prove to you  that they do stick together, I'm holding one up here that hasn't been cooked yet.

Then heat a pan and add some olive or coconut oil. Fry patties about 5 minutes on either side. 

I love that golden colour! Next time I make these I intend to fiddle a little more and add some shredded carrot or zucchini and see what happens.

Do you have a favorite patty? How do you serve it?

Have you checked out my gluten free pasta book  Recipes for Unusual Gluten Free Pasta: Pierogis, Dumplings, Desserts and More! ? Get yourself a copy and start making GF won tons, pierogis, dumplings, and orzo today :)  

This post was shared on the following great link parties: Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Gluten Free and DIY Tuesday,  Fat Tuesday,    Gluten Free Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Hop,