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    You are here: Home / Sandwiches / Vegan French Onion Burgers with Herbed Cashew Cheese

    LAST UPDATED: January 20, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: September 5, 2017

    Vegan French Onion Burgers with Herbed Cashew Cheese

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These vegan French onion burgers are made with savory caramelized onion and lentil patties, topped with an extra layer of caramelized onions and creamy herbed cashew cheese.

    Vegan French Onion Burgers Topped with Caramelized Onions, Lettuce, Tomato and Herbed Cashew Cheese

    I realized after making these that I have a thing for turning non-burger foods into veggie burgers. Check it out: meatloaf, Reuben sandwich, falafel, nachos...

    I didn't actually go into this one intending to turn French onion soup into a burger — it was more of a loose idea to put caramelized onions into a burger. Once I got rolling though I realized it had to be French onion soup, because duh, French onion soup is fantastic.

    Food Processor Bowl Filled with Ingredients for Making Vegan French Onion Burgers

    It's also something that I really miss from time to time, and as my husband and I discovered while chatting one day, lots of new vegetarians are apt to eat by mistake before realizing it's totally not vegetarian. So I think lots of us probably have a good deal of attachment to French onion soup. It's obviously not vegan, so no more goofing up in that department.

    So maybe some day I'll make a vegan French onion soup that's actually a soup, but for now...burgers!

    Lentil patties seemed appropriate, so I went with that and added some savory seasonings.

    Close Up of a Vegan French Onion Burger with Herbed Cashew Cheese

    Then I topped everything with a creamy herbed cashew cheese. You could use some homemade or store-bought vegan mozzarella if you're a real stickler when it comes to French onion soup-themed things, but honestly, the spreadable cheese is delicious and it really does taste French onioney when paired up with the burger and caramelized onions, so you should make it.

    Pair of Hands Holding a Vegan French Onion Burger

    My only regret was going with regular old burger buns. How perfect and delicious would these have been on crusty French rolls? Kind of like the croutons in French onion soup, right? But by the time I figured that out I'd photographed and devoured my burgers, so too late. But maybe some nice person will try out the crusty bread variation and let me know how great it is. :)

    Vegan French Onion Burgers Topped with Caramelized Onions, Lettuce, Tomato and Herbed Cashew Cheese
    5 from 1 vote
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    Vegan French Onion Burgers with Herbed Cashew Cheese

    These vegan French onion burgers are made with savory caramelized onion and lentil patties, topped with an extra layer of caramelized onions and creamy herbed cashew cheese.
    Course Sandwich
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Calories 522 kcal
    Author Alissa

    Ingredients

    For the Patties and Caramelized Onion Topping

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus a little extra for grilling the patties
    • 1 ½ pounds yellow onions about 3 medium, sliced thin
    • 3 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 ¼ cup rolled oats
    • 2 cups cooked brown lentils see note
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    For the Herbed Cashew Cheese

    • 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • ¼ cup unflavored unsweetened soy or almond milk
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

    For Serving

    • 4-6 burger buns or crusty French rolls
    • Lettuce tomato, and any other burger toppings of your choice

    Instructions

    1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Add the onion and stir a few times to coat with the oil. Allow to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned and caramelized. Stir in the garlic, raise heat to medium, and cook for another minute, until very fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer the onions to a plate.
    2. Place the oats into the bowl of a food processor and blend to a flour. Add in the lentils, walnuts, parsley, thyme, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and about ⅔ of the caramelized onions. Pulse until the ingredients are well mixed, being careful not to overdo it. Taste-test and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
    3. Make the cashew cheese by placing the cashews, garlic, red wine vinegar, milk, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and blending until smooth. Add in the herbs and pulse a few times until finely chopped and well mixed. Scoop the mixture into a bowl.
    4. To make the burgers, shape the lentil mixture into 4 to 6 patties. Add a touch more oil to the skillet you used for the onions and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned.
    5. Stuff the patties into buns or rolls and top with the cashew cheese, remaining caramelized onions, and any other toppings you like. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    You can use canned lentils, or cook up some dried lentils while the onions caramelize. If using dried, place ¾ cup into a saucepan and cover with about 3 cups of water. Boil until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes, then remove from heat and drain any excess water. If you forget to soak your cashews, you can just boil them in water for about 15 minutes.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan French Onion Burgers with Herbed Cashew Cheese
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 522 Calories from Fat 221
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 24.6g38%
    Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
    Sodium 812mg34%
    Potassium 603mg17%
    Carbohydrates 61.2g20%
    Fiber 11.1g44%
    Sugar 7.4g8%
    Protein 19.4g39%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 5.9mg33%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Bang Bang Tofu
    Vegan Dill Pickle Potato Chowder »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janice says

      September 05, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      I'm so glad to see more gluten free recipes! I am vegan, but I also am allergic to dairy and eggs, plus I'm gluten sensitive. Thank you for all you yummy recipes!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 10, 2017 at 5:47 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them. :)

        Reply
    2. Sara says

      September 05, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      I can not wait to try this burger, it sound delicious! Miam!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 10, 2017 at 5:47 pm

        Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    3. Regina says

      September 05, 2017 at 9:58 pm

      Those burgers look and sound so delish. I love cashew cream sauces too.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 10, 2017 at 5:48 pm

        Thank you! :)

        Reply
    4. Diane says

      September 08, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      In the herbed cashew cheese recipe, I am confused with the two additions of fresh thyme.. Recipe calls for 2 T fresh thyme leaves, and 2 T chopped fresh thyme?? Is this correct? Why two different additions of fresh thyme? Please clarify

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 09, 2017 at 11:43 am

        Thank you for catching that! The second one is supposed to be chives! Fixed it!

        Reply
    5. Sean Mahan says

      September 11, 2017 at 11:14 am

      Wow, this vegan burger looks so delicious! I'm definitely going to try it myself =)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 11, 2017 at 3:11 pm

        Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    6. Marcia says

      September 16, 2017 at 9:58 pm

      WOW! I made this and it is absolutely spectacular! I can hardly wait to make it again! I had some left and instead of letting it die in the fridge, I froze it for another day. I'm hoping that's okay...time will tell (unless you tell us before hand!). One reason I had to stop eating it is I had a tooth pulled and couldn't get anything in the whole that was left. Hopefully, soon all that will be resolved and out of the freezer it will come. YUM!

      As always Ailssa, you struck gold again. Thank you for making so many incredible dishes for all of us. PS I give it 5 stars!

      Marcia

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        September 17, 2017 at 3:04 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! And I think they should be fine in the freezer. :) And sorry about your tooth - I hope you feel better soon!

        Reply
    7. Tracy says

      November 12, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Does it matter if the lentils are green or red?? I have all colors of lentils but no brown!?! Go figure.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 15, 2017 at 8:57 pm

        I think green will work. :)

        Reply
    8. Kelly says

      December 05, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      So I want to make these but is there something that you would suggest to replace the oats? My boyfriend is allergic but we both love French onion soup and these sound so good!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 06, 2017 at 8:39 pm

        I think panko breadcrumbs would work! Please let me know how they turn out if you try it!

        Reply
    9. Alsisa says

      January 10, 2018 at 4:17 pm

      Hi Alissa...I am very interested in making these and freezing them. Have you tried freezing any of your burger recipes and if so how did they come out?

      Thanks so much,

      Alissa

      Reply
      • Alissa says

        January 10, 2018 at 4:23 pm

        Ps....I spelled my own name wrong! its Alissa :)

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          January 12, 2018 at 10:07 am

          Lol. I do it all the time too. :)

          Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 12, 2018 at 10:09 am

        Most veggie burgers freeze just fine and I think these would too - even the cheese! You can go through the entire process of making them and then freeze, but what I really like to do is mix everything in the food processor, then seal the mix up and freeze it. Then when you're ready, just thaw, shape the patties and cook - it's just like they're freshly made.

        Reply
    10. Amy Nunes says

      December 24, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      Hi! I just found this recipe and would love to make it but I’m allergic to lentils-can they be substituted with something else to make the burgers?🤞

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 29, 2019 at 3:40 pm

        Can you have chickpeas? I think they'd work well!

        Reply
    11. Meghan says

      January 14, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      This was incredible! Due to user error, I've never been successful with veggie burgers, but the mixture was blended so perfectly that they kept their shape the whole time. The flavour was amazing.

      Reply

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