We go veggies again today with these red lentil patties served with a garlic-herb tahini sauce. Both vegan and gluten-free, they are bursting with savory flavors, hearty texture, and oodles of plant-based protein.
Whenever I want to cook something easy, comforting and nourishing, I go for red lentils. I am totally obsessed with these lovely small lens shaped seeds, which colors can range from gold to orange to actual red. If I like all sorts of lentils, the red ones are to me the sweetest and the nuttiest that exist. In terms of cooking, they are usually done in about 20-25 minutes (while green lentils usually need 45 minutes).
Red lentils tend to get mushy when cooked through, which makes them perfect for Indian dahls or other curries, or simply for thickening soups. One of my very first recipes on the blog was indeed a red lentil dahl with roasted pumpkin and hazelnut. I was obviously still a beginner in food photography (forgive my poor picture here) but the dish was absolutely delicious! Most of the time, I go for this one or for a simple dahl with onions, carrots, and spices I have at hands. It’s a very forgiving dish so you can go your own way, playing with flavors and textures.
And now I have a new favorite: these red lentil patties! When I think about it, I wonder why I never thought about this idea before! I use the exact same ingredients as the ones I put in my regular dahl (onions-carrots-red lentils-spices), and I simply use some oats as a binder to helps hold the shape of the patties. Then I mix it up! At this stage, the mixture is quite mushy so you might need to use a little bit more oats but don’t use too much because you don’t want your patties to be dry. You can either shape them by hands if you are not too afraid of having your hands dirty, or use a 1/3 cup measuring cup as I did here. You don’t have any measuring cup at home? Do not worry, two tablespoons will do the trick!
Yes it is that simple to make these red lentil patties. Plus, they are extremely healthy! Nutty and earthy in flavor, lentils have a high nutritional value that anyone can benefit from by incorporating this healthy legume into their diet. Of all legumes and nuts, lentils contain the third-highest levels of protein (26 percent of lentil’s calories are attributed to protein). It makes them a wonderful source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, which play an important role in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease, and are loaded with essential nutrients (including folate, vitamin B6, phosphorus, iron and zinc, among others).
Entirely vegan and gluten free, these patties are prepared with oats for an additional source of fiber, and with carrots, that are rich in beta-carotene, but also fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidant. The easiest way to enjoy them is to serve them straight from the oven (or just a few minutes after, to give the patties the time to cool a little and keep their shape), but if you are not too much on the healthy side, you can also complete the cooking by stir-frying them a couple of minutes in a hot frying pan with some olive oil.
Now what to say about the sauce? Garlic, herbs, tahini… everything is said in its name. By simply combining all the ingredients together, you’ve got a perfect dressing that will bring some freshness to the patties. I like it garlicky so I usually add two cloves of garlic, but it’s up to you to decide. Same with the texture: feel free to add more water if you want it more liquid. If you are allergic to tahini, you can instead go for my vegan aioli and add the herbs in the end.
I hope you will try this healthy tasty and nourishing recipe, as I’m pretty confident it will soon become a favorite in your house too, whether you are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, or simply a plant-based lover!
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4–5 large carrots, sliced
- 1 cup split red lentils, thoroughly rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch of salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 2½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water, or more if needed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil and melt the chopped onions until slightly golden. Add the carrots, cover with water, and cook until fork-tender. Strain carrots and onions and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cover the lentils with two cups water and cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes. If needed, add more water to keep the lentils submerged. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
- Add the onions, carrots, cooked lentils, ½ cup of the rolled oats, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor. Season with paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper. Pulse 15 to 20 times, or until the mixture is chunky and all ingredients are well incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway through pulsing.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the reserved ½ cup rolled oats, chives, and cilantro. Use a spoon to mix well, ensuring all ingredients are evenly dispersed. The mixture should be damp but able to hold its shape. If not, add more oats.
- Use a ⅓-cup measuring cup to scoop out ⅓ cup of the mixture. Form the mixture into patties, and transfer to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should have 15-18 patties.
- Bake the patties for 23 to 25 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes on the pan before moving. They'll continue to firm up as they cool.
- For the garlic-herb tahini sauce: add all ingredients to a food processor and process until emulsified and the sauce just begins to take on a soft green color. The herbs should be very finely chopped. Transfer to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Enjoy the patties warm with a side of salad or tucked into a warm pita bread, and drizzle with the tahini sauce.
Ces galettes ne sont pas pour me déplaire…
Eh eh, je suis sûre que tu n’en ferais qu’une bouchée. Elles sont, en plus d’être saines, extrêmement gourmandes! 🙂
J’adore les lentilles comme toi et particulièrement les lentilles corail qui cuisent rapidement et pour leur jolie couleur ! En revanche, les lentilles que j’achète (en vrac en magasin bio) cuisent beaucoup plus rapidement 5 minutes max pour les corail et 15 pour les lentilles vertes (et encore, j’ai des lentilles vertes à cuisson rapide : 8 minutes), très pratiques pour une cuisine de dernière minute.
Bref, en ce moment, j’ai envie de me constituer une petite liste de galettes et steaks végétaux pour varier les plaisir alors je vais épingler celles-ci pour les essayer bientôt 🙂
Tiens tiens, intéressant qu’elles cuisent en 5 minutes pour toi, pas du tout pareil par ici!! En tous les cas, je suis sûre que ces petites galettes te plairont, j’ai vu passer d’autres galettes sur ton blog dernièrement qui m’ont rappelé que tu adorais ca 😉
Oh ! Ces steaks m’ont l’air exquis, je vais tester je pense 🙂 D’ailleurs j’en ai fait des similaires très récemment, je viens de partager la recette sur mon blog.
Merci pour ce gourmand partage,
Andréa
Oh tiens je vais aller voir ta version aussi Andréa! Ravie de te voir par ici et de lire que mes galettes te plaisent 🙂
elles sont top tes galettes!!!! bisous
Merci beaucoup ma belle! 🙂
Moi qui consomme beaucoup de steaks végétaux, je dois avouer que ce type de galette en version homemade me plait beaucoup !
Bises et belle soirée,
Gabrielle
Je suis en effet certaine que tu te régalerais 🙂 Bises!
Excellent! I just made the patties tonight for the first time. I love the texture and flavor of the patties combined with the sauce. It’s a great alternative to my regular black bean burger!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Caro! I’m really happy that you liked the patties. They are already a favorite of mine too! 🙂
Ces galettes ont l’air délicieuses… en revanche, je vous informe que dans les flocons d’avoine il y a bel et bien DU GLUTEN !!, à moins que vous n’achetiez des flocons d’avoines spécifiques sans gluten…
Je prends généralement des flocons d’avoine sans gluten. Je vais le préciser dans la recette pour éviter tout malentendu.
Hi Del
i make these burgers without cooking the lentils, but rather soaking them in water over night
Interesting trick, Dina. Thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂
Hi,
Ca I use quick oats?
I think it should do the trick too. The texture will be slightly different though.
Does anyone know if these freeze well? I have a lot of different dishes to prepare for Christmas, and I don’t have time to do these at the same time.
Hi Susan! It happened to me before so I know we can freeze them. Make sure you pre-cook them first and let cool completely before freezing. I hope it helps. Happy Holidays!
Thank you for your reply, Delphine. I will try them and let you know how my granddaughters like them. I wanted to make a protein Vegan dish for them, and these sound wonderful!
I made these for my granddaughters for Christmas, and they absolutely loved them. I liked them, too. The girls were happy that there were plenty of leftovers for them to take home and enjoy again.
Thank you!
So happy to hear that. Thank you for your feedback, Susan!
Hi! We made these last night, and they were a big hit. I will say that the directions could be a bit more streamlined, so they did not take 1.5 hours! I made them exactly as written here, except due to an oatmeal issue I used buckwheat instead and subbed in mint for the cilantro, as my husband can’t stand it in anything. We served them with a big pile of fresh spinach (like a salad) and warm rice. The dressing went over everything and was such a big hit, we’ll make it alone. I ended up doubling it to be able to make it in my blender, and I’m really glad I had that “problem.”
I do think the lentils and carrots and onions could all be made together. I ended up reserving the liquid from the veggies to make sure to not lose that good stock!
I”m so glad to hear you loved them, Jacqueline! And thank you for your great tips that our readers will for sure enjoy too! 🙂
Je viens de réaliser cette recette, ces galettes sont délicieuses !
Merci Delphine
J’en suis ravie, Mylene. Merci pour ton retour! Une petite idée de présentation que j’aime beaucoup: les glisser dans du pain “pita pockets” avec la sauce aux herbes 🙂 Un régal!
Just a note; oats are not gluten free
Hi Danielle. You are right, but you can always go for gluten free oats.
These sound yum. can they be frozen?
Hi Anne. Good news: they can be frozen, yes! 🙂 I cook them first, then let them cool and freeze.
Thank you