Miso mushroom lentil burgers with lemon yogurt sauce.
Lentil burgers might sound strange—my Spanish husband was certainly dubious—but these flavor bombs are packed with mushrooms, miso, garlic and spicy pimentón. The result? One of my new favorite ways to eat legumes.
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When I told Pablo I was making lentil burgers, he had some thoughts.
In Spain, lentejas are traditionally stewed with chorizo, blood sausage and a touch of carrot and potatoes, a little nod at a hint of health, if you will.
Don't get me wrong—I love Spanish lentils. (In fact, I was thinking of writing up the recipe we make around here once fall starts to set in. Would you like that?)
When Pablo heard the words lentils and burgers together, he didn't get it. For him, a burger has meat, and lentils go into a stew. There wasn't a space where lentils could be mashed together with miso, mushrooms and garlic, formed into patties and pan-fried in olive oil.
I was on my way out of the house the first time I made these, and I asked him to take them off the heat when they were tender, but not mushy. He laughed and said he hoped he didn't forget they were there, that'd it'd be a true shame if they were overcooked and we'd have to have real burgers instead.
I like this about Pablo. I love the way he sees most things so black-and-white, the way he sticks to tradition. It makes me smile and reminds me that I'm very much married to a Spaniard. In a way, I think it tugs at my creative strings, pushes me to keep exploring, trying new things in the kitchen, and nourishing us both along the way.
So some days, yes, we have Spanish lentejas, with glorious bites of smoky chorizo and melt-in-your mouth potatoes.
But other days, I mash tender lentils with miso paste, smoked pimentón, fresh garlic and a heap of finely chopped mushrooms. I turn them into burgers, and as we bite into them, we look at each other. There's no denying there's no meat in these beautiful patties, but damn, they're delicious.
Miso-mushroom lentil burgers with lemon yogurt sauce
Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit
Yields: 6 patties
Ingredients
3/4 cup dried lentils (or 2 cups cooked lentils)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
Salt
170 grams button mushrooms (about 6-7 medium-sized mushrooms)
2 Tablespoons miso paste
1/4 teaspoon smoked pimentón
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil for pan-frying lentil patties
Instructions
1. Put lentils in a pot, and cover generously with water. Add a sprinkle of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, but not mushy, usually between 20-30 minutes. Drain them and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon yogurt sauce by combing the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and one clove of minced garlic. Season with salt, and set to the side.
3. Now it's time to start the burgers. Finely chop the mushrooms, and put them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the miso paste, pimentón, the second grated clove of garlic and olive oil, and stir the mixture together just enough to introduce them to one another.
4. Add the lentils to the mushroom mixture, and carefully mash them with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Careful not to mash to a complete paste, leaving a few whole lentils here and there.
5. Finally, add the flour and give the entire mixture a quick stir to fully incorporate it. At this point, take a handful of the mixture and squeeze it to see if holds together. If it doesn't, add another 1 to 2 Tablespoons of flour until it does.
6. Form the mixture into six patties, about 3/4" (20mm) thick. Heat a medium skillet with a layer of olive oil, and working in two batches, cook three patties at a time.
7. Cook each side until beautifully browned in the olive oil, about 3 minutes.
8. You could serve these on a bun with the yogurt sauce, but I love these best naked, topped with the sauce, and served with a simple salad on the side.