Lentil Burgers - I cant believe its not real meat!

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Recipe submitted by Elisabeth_Babbitt@cargill.com

Lentil Burgers - I can't believe its not real meat!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup dry lentils
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teasp. chili power, 1 teasp. liquid smoke
1 tablespoon tamari, 1/2 pkg. tofu, 1/2 cup wholewheat flour

Directions:

Wash and cover lentils 1/2 with water. Add chopped onion, garlic, chili powder. Cook till tender and add Tamari and liquid smoke. While lentils are cooking, in a blender, chop 1/2 pkg. tofu and add 1/2 cup wholewheat flour. When lentils are tender, mix with tofu/flour mixture. This should be real thick and easy to spoon onto a hot griddle in the shape of a burger. You may want to add 1 T. of Olive oil on the griddle. Cook on each side.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 1 hr

Can someone tell me what is liquid smoke?

Archived comment by: stevens.carrun.c@bhp.com.au

Liquid Smoke is a barbecue smoke seasoning that can be found in most grocery stores in the same section as the ketchup, BBQ sauces and so forth. The ingredients are water, natural hickory smoke flavor, vinegar, flavoring and browned vegan sugar. It is made by the Richard Colgin, Inc., Dallas, TX 75208 USA. Hope this helps.

Archived comment by: susanne

Excellent burgers, good flavor and you have no idea that they were made from lentils.

Archived comment by: wayne

What is Tamari, and if I can't find it is there an alternative? Is there an alternative to liquid smoke too? Thanks for any help.

Archived comment by: gee

Tamari is aged soya sauce. I find its flavour has more depth than the regular type. I use it in stir fries. You can shop for it in asian grocery stores (if you can't find it next to the soya sauce in your regular grocery store).

Archived comment by: france

Sounds yummy. I hope I can get something like Liquid Smoke here in Australia. What exactly is 1/2 pkg of tofu? I've seen tofu in various sizes of package

Archived comment by: russell

Every package of tofu I've seen in the US is 8 ounces.

Archived comment by: julia

Oops! I meant 1 pound.

Archived comment by: julia

Does this stay together when you cook it. I have tried a simliar recipe in the past that falls into crumbs. Anyone know?

Archived comment by: orca

These burgers are delicious. The liquid smoke really makes them meaty. They hold together very nicely. The flour and tofu make a nice binder. I have used an old Tupperware hamburger press from my Mom to make a consistent shape and size.

Archived comment by: lori

I was wondering what kind of tofu to use, I've seen firm and silken , low fat no fat. Which one should I use in this recipe? Would like to try this. I did try one other recipe with tofu and really didn't care for it much. But then perhaps I had the wrong kind for the purpose. Thanks, Maryann.

Archived comment by: maryann

some of the ingredents are hard to find, but keep looking. All the work it takes to find everything to put this together is worth it.

Archived comment by: amanda

For all thos Melbourne Australia readers ... I found Liquid Smoke and Tamari for sale in Daimaru in Melbourne (Ground Floor Sauces Section) (July 2000)

Archived comment by: nick

Great taste... falls to pieces though... unless you like to eat flour burgers

Archived comment by: jon_easton

Very nice taste, kinda messy to make though. But as is most veggie stuff I am finding, very good though.

Archived comment by: mikethephone

If you like smoke flavor, this is definately a recipe for you. I have always hated lentils but decided to try these and I really like them. I found they held together very nicely when I placed the cooked lentil mixture in my food processor and whizzed them up leaving some lentils whole. I added a tiny bit more liquid smoke & salt but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. I also pressed them in a hamburger press that was given to me and made them as thin as the press would let me. I fried them up and they are great! I plan to freeze them to use later.

Archived comment by: braymoor

What is a hamburger press and where would I find one?? (USA)

Archived comment by: snowy

I purchased liquid smoke from the Queensland Vegetarian and Vegan Society (Maureen)last night. She charges $3.80 for a bottle and can post it out. I don't know if any of the other states carry this but you can check. P.S. I am making these patties right now and they smell fantastic, my kitchen smells like a bbq pit!

Archived comment by: dinksta

I purchased liquid smoke from the Queensland Vegetarian and Vegan Society (Maureen)last night. You can contact her on 07) 3300-9320. The society is at 1086 Waterworks Rd. The Gap. She charges $3.80 for a bottle and can post it out. I don't know if any of the other states carry this but you can check. P.S. I am making these patties right now and they smell fantastic, my kitchen smells like a bbq pit!

Archived comment by: dinksta

Dear Snowy, a hamburger press is a gadget from tupperware which is basically a circular mould and flat plastic presser (and then a set of containers to store your hamburgers in). The site is http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/home but I didn't see it listed but a consultant may be able to tell you if they're going to bring it out again. You may be able to find it on e-Bay.

Archived comment by: veganmaid

Sorry, I didn't have a good experience with these burgers. They were mushy and gushy, flavorless, and really did not taste nor pass for a burger.

Archived comment by: sassypatty

This recipe was really good allthough a little bland and lacking in texture. I think next time I will add a little brown rice for some more texture. I used extra firm tofu this time because that is what I had but I think next time I will just use regular or firm since it gets all blended up anyway. It was a little hard on my blender as wekk, Also it took more like a half an hour to prepare. Great recipe... I will be making it again.

Archived comment by: violetDreamscape

I thought these burgers were great!! I did howe'ver think they were a little runny so I added a handful of TVP to soak up a little of the extra juice. I also used 1/4 cup of vegan Italian bread crumbs and 1/4 cup wheat flour instead of the 1/2 cup it called for. I added extra amounts of seasonings because of a comment posted saying that they didn't have any flavor. Mine turned out great as burgers, I made it again as a meatloaf substitute and they were equally as good. Thanks for this recipe!

Archived comment by: leila22

Is liquid smoke bad for you? I've read that smoked foods promote stomach cancer, or is liquid smoke different? I'm kinda apprehensive about trying it.

Archived comment by: randomlyred

You all are making this too hard. I live in Kentucky, USA and can find liquid smoke at my local Kroger or Wal-Mart.

Archived comment by: uiscebeatha06

Umm, I don't know a lot about lentils, and when I went to the store there were at least 3 different kinds. Which would work best for this recipe?

Archived comment by: vee_dee

anyone?

Archived comment by: vee_dee

I would probably use green, though I'm sure red would taste fine as well. Try them both and see which you like!

Archived comment by: speltrong

I really didn't care for this at all. I'm new to vegetarian cooking and maybe this has something to do with my reaction to this recipe.

Archived comment by: dscroggins5

i made these without the onions. they came out pretty bland. i also had to add some flour because they were way too sticky. i think next time i make them i will ajust the flour/tofu/lentil ratio, and add a bit more flavouring to it.

Archived comment by: xharmonyx

I love these things so much...my family and I like them just as well as those expensive BOCA burgers...so well be saving money too by eating lentil burgers MOST of the time =) I added: italian sesoning, parsley, and lots of other spices Thanx so much!!!!!!!!!! This recipe can be made easily and freezes wonderfully. They are delicious, will keep making these for years to come!

Archived comment by: animalluva

I made these and they were great. I used worcestershire sauce instead of liquid smoke and it had great flavor. It was a bit runny so I had to add some bread crumbs to make it thicker, but they turned out great!

Archived comment by: stefaniw

Awesome recipe! I've had a hard time in the past with burgers that didn't stay together, but this was perfect! A tip: press the tofu. We added vegan worcestershire sauce instead of the liquid smoke. Tasted great in a pita with lettuce and mustard! Our 15-month-old inhaled a patty and a half in one sitting! Thanks!

Archived comment by: calmb4storm

Liquid Smoke is connected with cancer and definitely should not be used by anyone who cares about eating a healthy diet. Worchestershire is a much better alternative.

Archived comment by: goosegirl

Here is the thing... They look like burgers but taste like poo ... im going to try subsituting the lentils for maybe rice or something

Archived comment by: turtlesfordinner

turtlesfordinner: poo? A+ for either honesty or a childish vocabulary . . . .

Archived comment by: adagio