Wild Rice Quinoa Lentil Burgers

I found the most delicious French Brioche burger buns at the market and just could not resist. Their light, soft consistency was perfect for a veggie burger.

This lentil quinoa burger has some bulk to it, so it stands up to a burger bun. But if you are cutting back on carbs, serve the crispy warm burger on a cool tossed salad.

1 small leek, about 1 cup cooked

1 carrot, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 cup cooked quinoa (I used rainbow)

1 cup cooked black lentils (or French Puy)

1/4 cup cooked wild rice (optional)

2 eggs, whisked

1/4 cup Panko crumbs

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

palmful fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced

1/2 cup grated cheddar (or favorite) cheese

Sauté the leek and carrot in a dash of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons water. Cook until the water has all boiled off and the veggies have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and coriander and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Mix the veggies with the remaining ingredients.

Form into 6 patties. You may find it easier to form the patties if you chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

Sauté the patties on an oiled non-stick surface. Cook first side until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes.

Carefully flip burgers and cook on second side until nicely browned, about another 3-5 minutes.

Serve burgers on a bun or atop a tossed salad.

Makes 6 burgers.

Cook’s note: The mixture can be frozen, so if you only want to cook 2 burgers, form them and freeze the rest of the mix. Plan ahead and allow frozen mix to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or during the workday - don’t use the microwave to thaw the mix; the results are likely to be disappointing.

Alternatively, you can freeze the cooked burgers. Reheat the thawed burgers in a toaster oven (not the microwave) to ensure best crispiness.

Finally, use black (I used) or French Puy lentils, not the common flat green lentils which will disintegrate too much and form a very mushy burger.

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