These easy, curry-scented lentil sliders hail from the new “Reducetarian Cookbook: 125 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes for Omnivores, Vegans, and Everyone In-Between (Center Press/Hachette, $22).
Formed into patties and baked, these lentil, walnut and sautéed vegetable patties will satisfy your hamburger hankering. They’re a bit crumbly, but the flavor is infinitely better than some of those freezer-section burger substitutes that have long passed as vegan cuisine. Here’s how they’re made.
The Reducetarian’s Lentil Sliders
Makes 8 sliders
Ingredients:
1 cup dried brown or green lentils
2¼ to 2½ cups vegetable broth or water, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin avocado oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 small hamburger buns (or slider buns)
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine lentils and 2 cups broth in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils are tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat, remove lid and stir. Set aside to cool completely. Drain.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrot and curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in ¼ cup of the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, adding more broth if the mixture is too dry.
- Use a vegetable masher or food processor (not a blender) to puree the cooked lentils with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Scrape into a large bowl and add the vegetable mixture, walnuts and salt. Add mustard to taste and mix well to form a soft, moist mixture.
- Divide mixture into 8 portions and form into ¾-inch thick patties. Arrange on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes to firm up. Serve on buns with condiments of your choice
—From “The Reducetarian Cookbook,” edited by Brian Kateman with recipes by Pat Crocker (Center Street, Hachette, 2018)