Lentil Veggie Burger

Our vegan Mezcal & Red Chile Hot Sauce is a great way to liven up this delicious Lentil Veggie Burger.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup, dried red or brown lentils
- 1/2 cup, whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
- 6 oz. crimini mushrooms, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon, smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup, flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- Whole wheat buns
- Sprouts, micro-greens or lettuce
- Sliced red pepper
- Sliced pickles
Instructions:
Pour water into a large saucepan to cover lentils by 4". Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes from the time the water reaches a boil.
Drain very well in a fine-mesh sieve, then let cool at least 10 minutes (spread them out on a baking sheet, which will help them cool faster).
In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and half of garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt; set aside.
Finely chop mushrooms and transfer to a medium bowl. Add paprika, 2 Tbsp. oil, and remaining garlic clove. Add lentils and stir and mash them with the back of a spoon or a potato masher until lentils are partly mashed but with lots of whole lentils still remaining.
Vigorously stir in flour until mixture holds together when squeezed; if it doesn’t, continue to mash until it does and add 1–2 Tbsp. flour if needed. Form into 6 patties about ¾" thick.
Working in 2 batches, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet (nonstick is essential since these will definitely stick to a regular skillet) over medium. Cook patties until deeply browned and very crisp on bottom side, about 3 minutes.
Carefully turn and repeat on second side, adding more oil as needed to maintain a light coating around patties in skillet.
Spread reserved yogurt mixture on buns. Top with burgers, sprouts, and pickles and red peppers.
Drizzle generously with Mezcal & Red Chile Hot Sauce for a nice warming zing!
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