When I first went meatless, one of my favorite dinners was a frozen veggie burger patty served over pasta. If it wasn’t for veggie patties, I honestly don’t know where I would be right now. I’ve come a long way from those pre-made, frozen days, but the thought of a good burger still gets my mouth watering.

The challenge that I’ve found with many homemade bean burger patties is that they tend to quickly fall apart. The great thing about this recipe is that these burgers hold together surprisingly well. They are hearty, flavorful, and go well with BBQ sauce or any of your other favorite burger toppings. If you don’t own a BBQ, they can be cooked in a pan on the stove-top for an easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients (makes 6 patties):

• 1/2 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup vegetable broth

Preparation:

1. Combine the lentils, brown rice, onion, carrot, garlic, cumin, sage, and salt in a medium-size saucepan. Add the water and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and boil gently until the rice and lentils are tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
2. Drain in a colander to remove any excess liquid. Let cool slightly, then process in a food processor with a steel blade until you have a fairly smooth texture. Form into 6 burger patties.
3. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill with a lightly oiled vegetable rack in place.
4. Mist both sides of the burgers with nonstick spray. Grill the burgers until crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Serve in a bun with your favorite toppings.