A couple of months ago, I was in London and had this really yummy vegan burger in a vegetarian restaurant not far from Piccadilly Circus. It’s called Milred´s and I can absolutely recommend their food! They got tons of vegan options and it’s so hard to choose! It’s known to be really busy and they don’t take bookings, so make sure to come early. Ever since, I wish I could just hop on a plane, fly to London, and have another one of these veggie burgers. No, just kidding, but it really was a great burger, so I thought about making one at home. I didn’t know what they used to make the burger patty, but I came up with a really good vegan lentil burger with basil mayonnaise, arugula, and tomatoes. Flo just loved it, so it’s definitely boyfriend-approved! :-)
If you don’t like arugula and its slight bitter taste, you can of course also use lettuce, but I especially liked the combination of basil and arugula. I used store-bought vegan mayonnaise to make the basil mayonnaise, but it’s also easy to make at home. The vegan burger patties are made of brown lentils, tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, a grated carrot, an onion, and lots of spices. It might seem like a pretty long ingredient list at first, but the majority of the stuff is available in most kitchens or easy to buy. I haven’t tried to freeze the lentil patties yet as we didn’t have any left-overs, but I guess next time I will double the batch and freeze some for quick weeknight dinners. We ate this vegan lentil burger together with crispy rosemary fries.
If you make this vegan lentil burger let me know how it turned out and how you liked it. I love hearing from you guys! :-)
Vegan Lentil Burger with Basil Mayonnaise
Ingredients
For the vegan lentil patties:
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 7 oz firm tofu (one block)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- salt
- black pepper
For the basil mayonnaise:
- 6-8 tablespoons store-bought or homemade vegan mayonnaise
- about 10 basil leaves
For the rosemary fries:
- about 8 large potatoes, cut into even wedges
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt
For the burger:
- buns
- arugula
- tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook the brown lentils according to the instructions on the package.
- Make the rosemary fries: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the potatoe wedges on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and salt. Bake for about 40 minutes or until crispy and brown.
- Make the basil mayonnaise: In a food processor, combine the vegan mayonnaise and the basil leaves and process until smooth.
- Put about 1/4 of the cooked lentils in a food processor together with the tofu, the mustard, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the tomato paste. Process until well combined.
- In a small skillet, head the olive oil and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or until it is translucent.
- Add the remaining cooked lentils, the onion, the rolled oats, the whole wheat flour, the grated carrot, the spices, soy sauce, and mustard to the lentil-tofu mixture and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and form about 4 burger patties.
- In a large pan, heat some olive oil and bake the patties for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are slightly brown.
- Serve on buns with the basil mayonnaise, arugula, and tomatoes.
Pat harrington
Had this burger at my sister’s 4th of July party. It was delicious.She forwarded me
the recipe and I made them today.I am have a fresh herb garden and I also added cilantro because I like it. I made the basil Mayo and added a ripe sliced tomato. It was delicious. I am currently cut back on my meat.
Can you tell me the appropriate calorie count?
Rob Allan
Just new to the vegan scene and made these burgers tonight – they were amazing!
We amped up the basil mayo with a clove of garlic and it went off! EVERYONE loved them
Thanks for the inspiration – these are great.
Will be trolling through the rest of the recipes
Janina
Sounds delicious. Looking through the recipe I had a few questions: for the lentils is It 1 cup dry or cooked? I think lentils are similar to rice where they expand and you end up with much more than what you started with. Also wondered if it matters if the oats are quick cooking or reg? Might effect the texture or cooking time. Can’t wait to try them.
Planning to make a big batch to freeze and bring to the shore for a healthier grilling/burger option.
Sina
Hi Janina, It’s one cup dry lentils and I used rolled oats. Hope that helps! :-) Let me know if you got any other questions. Hope you like them! Making a big batch to freeze sounds like a great idea. ;-)
Stacey C
I just began a gluten/dairy free lifestyle due to allergies. I just made this burger and substituted a few ingredients with my gluten free stuff. All I can say is WOW! I can’t wait for my hubby to come home and try his. I used dairy free cheddar instead of arugula and tomato and it was the perfect lunch! I didn’t do so hot on the fries because I forgot about them, but they were still tasty with a little gluten free bbq sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Aaron Glick
Hi Sina! This is a fantastic recipe. I would like to feature this recipe on my website/social media outlets through GoAvo. We sell vegan, avocado-based “mayonnaise” condiments. We have a basil flavor, and I would love to feature this recipe using Basil GoAvo. We will link to your blog and give you full credit, of course! Please let me know.
:)
Sina
Hi Aaron, Thanks for getting in touch! Sure, that sounds awesome! :-) Please send me the link once it’s up. Can’t wait to see it!
Joy
Not vegan unless you use veganaise, mayo has eggs in it, or did you find a mayo without eggs?
Sina
Hi Joy, I used vegan mayonnaise without eggs, I just didn’t call it veganaise, but it’s basically the same. All the recipes you find here are vegan. :-)
Jess @ Along Came Cherry
These burgers look amazing! I have attempted to make a few different ones now that haven’t worked out too well so am always looking for new recipes to try, will def give these a go :) x
Sina
Thanks, Jess! :-) Oh, I know what you mean. When I first made bean burgers, they always turned out too soft and didn’t have enough texture, it’s much easier with lentil burgers I think. Let me know how you liked the recipe. :-)
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
Wow, I don’t know which is more swoon-worthy, the burger or the basil mayo. They both sound so good! ♥
Sina
Thanks so much, Audrey! :-) Glad you like it!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
This looks like a full on vegan feast! Those burgers sound like they are so flavor-packed! I used to make lentil burgers but I haven’t made them in forever and I really don’t even remember where that recipe is anymore…I’m going to try yours next time instead. The basil mayo is such a great idea, almost like pesto flavor meets mayo!
Sina
Thanks, Natalie! :-) That happened to me all the time before I started my blog. :D I used to scribble my recipes on receipts and other little pieces of paper and I could never find them again. My boyfriend always kept laughing at me when I was hysterically looking for one of my recipes. But luckily it got so much better since I got the blog. :-)
Emma @ That Healthy Kitchen
These burgers look fantastic!! I love the addition of the basil mayo too, I’ve never had it before, so I’ll definitely try that. Thanks for sharing! <3
Sina
Thanks, Emma! So glad you like it. I really love the basil mayo :-) It’s also great with wedges or fries.
Harriet Emily
Mmmm I love lentil burgers! The flavours in these sound so great. What a perfect recipe. Ooooh and the basil mayonnaise sounds wonderful too, and such an amazing idea! :)
Sina
Thanks, Harriet! :-) I just love lentils too. I guess I could eat them almost every day. Last Christmas, we had a lentil loaf, which was a huge hit. I just like that they’re so versatile.
Claire @foodiequine
Love the sound of these and the Basil May is so simple but I can imagine it works really well and its freshness cuts through the depth of flavour in the lentil burgers. Amazing photos too.
Sina
Thanks so much, Claire! :-) It actually is really simple, but I think it tastes so much better than regular mayo. I can’t wait to add other herbes and try a different flavor.
Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan
Sina!! Those burgers look amazing! And that basil mayo… what a wonderful idea!! It sounds lovely and looks drool-worthy. Oh noo….now I’m getting hungry again :D
Sina
Thanks so much, Bianca! Haha, I’m sorry for making you hungry. ;-)
Jenn
These looks so good! That Basil Mayo…omg! Veggie burgers are one of our favorite meals around here…my kids love them. And I love how you can sneak all sort of veggies in them. Really loving the addition of sun-dried tomatoes here! Can’t wait to try!
Sina
Thanks, Jenn! :-) Let me know how you liked them. Yeah, I guess burgers are just great to hide all sort of healthy stuff that some kids don’t want to eat. The same probably applies to smoothies :D
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but I’d definitely eat these burgers! The look great! I often make a basil mayo when my basil in the garden is going crazy. I will have to try adding arugula to it.
Sina
Thanks, Kathy! :-) So glad you like them! Basil mayonnaise is just great. Unfortunately I don’t have a garden, but there’s enough space for some plants on my window sill. :-)