These hearty lentil patties from the Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook are seasoned up with spicy, smoky chipotle peppers. Serve them on their own or stuffed into buns for a perfect easy, delicious and freezer-friendly meal.
I'm pretty excited about this one! A few months back I heard that fellow vegan food blogger Ginny McMeans of Vegan in the Freezer was coming out with a book, and I couldn't be happier about it. I've gotten to know Ginny over the last couple of years via social media, and all I can say is that she's a superstar in the vegan community - a super sweet person and an awesome blogger. Ginny's blog and now her book, The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook, are both about the freezer-friendly vegan recipes. Since my blog leans in the direction meals that are both easy and tasty, and always vegan, I figured this topic would jive well with you all.
The book is packed with recipes that fit perfectly with my no-fuss theme, and there's plenty of material to suit everyone's tastes. I bookmarked a whole bunch of recipes before finally deciding on the chipotle lentil patties. A few notable faves: lentil balls in sweet and sour sauce, loaded breakfast burritos, poblano chiles pinto bean soup, oaxacan tortilla soup, sweet potato chili logs, cauliflower tots, cowboy lasagne, and almond butter cookie dough ice cream. So, yes, all kinds of freezer-friendly deliciousness going on!
The other thing that I found awesome about this book is the introduction, which is devoted to the how-tos of freezing. I have certain foods that I'm generally comfortable freezing, and whenever I'm presented with a big batch of leftovers or a bumper crop from the garden I find myself frantically searching for information on how to freeze my goods. I'm happy to say that I now have a resource for all that stuff, complete with information on freezing containers, prep and storage times.
On to the recipe! These patties were fantastic. The lentils crisp up just a bit on the outside, while the inside is packed with smoky chipotle flavor. My husband and I ate them for dinner on buns with some vegan mayo, lettuce and tomato, but you could just as easily plop one on a plate with some sides. Ginny advised in the recipe notes to make a big batch and stock up, and I'm kind of wishing I'd done that. I made a half batch, which is four patties, and my husband and I scarfed them all down in one day.
You can pick up a copy of The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook on Amazon, or try your chances at winning one for free, along with some freezer-friendly cookware to try out all the recipes in.
Chipotle Lentil Patties from The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, diced small
- 1 very small head cauliflower, to equal volume of lentils
- 2 15-ounce cans lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 carrot, grated
- ¼ cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 cup vegan bread crumbs
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, for frying
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, watching so as not to burn the garlic.
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Clean the cauliflower and break into florets. Steam for 15 minutes.
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Combine the cauliflower and drained lentils in a large bowl and mash with the tines of a fork.
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Add the remaining ingredients, except the coconut oil. Mix very well.
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Form into eight patties. Press the patties together hard, so they will keep together.
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At this point you may freeze the patties. Otherwise, heat the coconut oil in a skillet and cook two patties at a time for 8 minutes on one side, flip and cook 7 more minutes.
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Do not press down on the patties when you are frying them. This is one of the culprits that makes bean burgers fall apart. You are actually separating the ingredients when you press down.
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Storing in the refrigerator: The patties will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before frying or up to 3 days after frying.
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Freezing: If freezing some or all, place on a baking sheet as you are forming the patties. Freeze for 1 hour. Remove the patties with a spatula and wrap individually in plastic wrap, then slide them all into a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 3 months.
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When ready to prepare, defrost in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. Frying after freezing: Fry in hot oil as directed.
Yum! Chipotle and lentils are two of my faves- the lentil balls with sweet and sour sauce sound fantastic too :)
Is it weird that I had no idea lentils came in a can!? I must be super old school still cooking them from dried. Looks like a delicious "burger" though!
Hi Alissa! Very nice recipe you have shared. It looks easy to prepare and is delicious also. I made my mind now this will be my tomorrows lunch menu. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi there! I just tried this recipe today and I was hoping I could get your help figuring out where I went a tad bit wrong. I followed the instructions as listed above, with the exception of adding the chile in adobo sauce since I didn't have it on hand. Also, I only had dried lentils, so I cooked them and used 3 cups worth (since 15oz usually yields 1.5 cups). Once all ingredients were combined, the mixture didn't stick together at all. I figured this was because there is no binding agent in the recipe, so I added a flax egg which helped a bit, but trying to form the mixture into patties was completely hopeless. My last effort proved a bit successful—I threw the whole thing into a food processor and blended until everything was mashed together. This helped and I was able to form the mixture into patties. The only down side was the burger didn't have the wonderful look yours does and there was no interesting texture to the burger once cooked, which I think is what carries a veggie burger, and your photo shows lots of good texture.
I love the idea of a lentil and cauliflower burger and want this recipe to work next time I try it. Could you provide any guidance?
Thank you!
Hi Natalie! I think if it's not sticking you probably need to mash it a bit more. I'd go with a potato masher before sticking everything into a food processor, and just mash and keep testing. Some of the lentils and cauliflower needs to break up so that it can bind everything together. You could also need to add a bit more lentils, as I usually get closer to 1 3/4 cup out of a 15 ounce can. I hope that helps! Good luck!
Hello Alissa! It looks very nice and delicious. I like this Patties. It is very easy to prepare and it takes only few minutes. I will try it soon. Thanks for sharing great recipe.
Thanks Malin! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!