Hearty and satisfying, Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis‘ lentil burgers are a delicious option for your next cookout.
Packed with the powerhouse legumes, vegetables, and a zingy vegan mayo dressing, this burger may become a new favorite.
De Laurentiis’ lentil burgers are a plant-based alternative to meat burgers
The chef’s recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil, minced shallots, kosher salt, ground black pepper, finely diced button mushrooms, minced garlic, chopped fresh thyme, frozen petite green peas that have been thawed, rinsed and drained canned lentils, egg-free mayonnaise, and fresh lemon juice.
For the burgers’ accompanying vegan mayonnaise, you’ll need store-bought vegan mayonnaise, “such as Vegenaise,” chopped fresh basil, and lemon zest.
Lastly, the lentil burgers, the chef says, can be served on country-style bread with, if desired, thinly sliced avocado, sliced Roma tomatoes, and butter lettuce leaves.
The chef’s vegan burgers are easy to make
To start, the shallots are cooked in a nonstick skillet with oil and “cooked until soft.” The mushrooms, garlic, and thyme are added to the pan, and salted and peppered. Once the mushrooms are tender, the mixture is set aside to cool.
The next step takes place in a blender: the peas and one can of the lentils are blended and then moved to a medium bowl. To this smooth mixture, another can of lentils, the cornmeal, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and the cooked mushroom mixture are stirred in.
Measure out “1/3 cupfuls” of the burger mixture and shape them into “11 three-quarter-thick slider patties.”
De Laurentiis suggests sprinkling cornmeal onto the baking sheet you’ll be placing the burgers on to keep them from sticking to the sheet. Arrange the raw burger patties onto the cornmeal and sprinkle more cornmeal onto the tops of the burgers.
As many reviewers on Food Network’s site noted, the next step is crucial: place the burgers in the refrigerator for “at least” 30 minutes. One home cook said, “the rest time in the fridge is important to keep them intact while cooking.”
Once the burgers are set, the culinary personality says it’s time to cook them. The chef heats a quarter-cup of oil in a skillet and the burgers are cooked until “golden brown, about four minutes on each side.”
The mayonnaise mixture is prepped by stirring together the basil and lemon zest “until smooth” and after that, De Laurentiis says, it’s spread on the toasted bread. Next, the cooked patties are placed on the bread, along with the avocado slices, tomato slices, and lettuce leaves, if using.
Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
Reviewers loved De Laurentiis’ vegan burgers
The Simply Giada star’s vegan alternative to beef burgers was praised by Food Network reviewers as an easy-to-make and delicious barbecue offering.
“I’ve tried several vegan burger recipes but I think this one works. Putting it in the fridge for 40 min. really firmed it up. Then the cornmeal crust helped more. Too many recipes are mushy. I really liked the taste, too,” one home cook wrote.
Another reviewer added, “Delicious! The best vegetarian burgers I have ever made. The whole family, three teenagers and a meat-eating husband, loved them. I followed the recipe exactly and they were a little soft but the flavor was so good that I would not change anything. Will definitely make them again. The lemon-basil mayonnaise was scrumptious.”
Lastly, another person praised the burgers’ impressive similarity to meat burgers: “These were my favorite non meat burgers I’ve made yet. They were also the most positively received by the family—especially my meat craving 13 year old son! They really have a meaty texture. The cornmeal on the outside adds a great crunch as you bite into it. I would really recommend not skipping it! Also, the rest time in the fridge is important to keep them intact while cooking.”
RELATED: Giada De Laurentiis’ Chia Seed Pudding Is a ‘Beautiful, Ready-to-Eat Treat’
