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Lettuce-wrapped lentil burgers with avocado and Brussels sprout salad

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Lean & Clean, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free

2 Servings, 580 Calories/Serving

35 – 45 Minutes

These gluten-free and vegan lentil burgers are full of flavor and texture, not even counting the crunchy, tangy side salad of Brussels sprouts and apple.

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup black lentils
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
  • 5 ounces Brussels sprouts
  • 1 apple
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (optional)
  • ⅓ cup walnuts
  • 1 ounce shredded carrots
  • Burger spice blend (cumin - coriander)
  • ½ teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)
  • 1 head baby iceberg lettuce

Make It Leaner

To slash 20 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving, skip the oil in Step 3 and cook the vegetables in a few tablespoons of water instead. Lose an additional 40 calories and 4 grams of fat from each serving by making the topping with only one-fourth of the avocado (save the rest for avocado toast the next day).

Ingredient IQ

One of our favorite egg replacers, the simple mixture of flaxseed meal and water creates a thick, pudding-like binder that mimics an egg. Flaxseeds contain a naturally occurring gum that acts as an emulsifier as it cooks, holding everything together.

Instructions

1

Cook the lentils; prepare the flaxseed mixture

  • In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the lentils.
In a small sauce pot, combine the lentils and 4 cups lightly salted water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and cook until the lentils are completely tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl, and let cool.
While the lentils cook, in a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and 2½ tablespoons water and stir with a fork; let stand for 10 minutes while you prepare the salad and topping.

2

Make the Brussels sprout salad and avocado topping

  • Trim the stem ends from the Brussels sprouts; thinly slice the Brussels sprouts crosswise.
  • Cut the apple into quarters and cut away the core; thinly slice the fruit.
  • Peel the red onion and cut in half. Thinly slice half for the salad; coarsely chop enough of the other half to measure ⅓ cup for the burgers.
  • Cut the avocado in half; remove the pit and scoop out the flesh from half the avocado; save the other avocado half for another use.
In a medium bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, apple, sliced onion, apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon oil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine half the avocado and as much sambal oelek as you like. Using a masher or fork, mash the avocado until smooth; season the topping to taste with salt.

3

Prep the burgers

  • Coarsely chop enough walnuts to measure 2 tablespoons; set aside 1 tablespoon for the salad.
In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon oil until hot but not smoking. Add the chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and cook until starting to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the burger spice blend and as many chile flakes as you like and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Using a masher or the bottom of a cup, mash the lentils, leaving some whole. Fold in the onion mixture (wipe out the pan). Stir in the flaxseed mixture and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts; season with salt and pepper and mix well. When the lentil mixture is cool enough to handle, form into 2 equal balls.

4

Cook the burgers

In the same pan used for the onion, warm 1 to 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the lentil balls and, using a spatula, gently flatten them into patties. Cook, turning once, until browned and crispy on the outside and hot within, 1 to 2 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
While the burgers cook, prepare the lettuce wraps and finish the salad.

5

Prep the lettuce wraps; finish the salad

  • Trim the root end from the iceberg lettuce and separate the large leaves for the burgers; save the rest for another use.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts to the salad and toss to combine.

6

Serve

Transfer the lettuce leaves to individual plates. Top with the burgers and spread with the avocado topping. Serve with the Brussels sprout salad.

Nutrition per serving: Protein: 25g (50% DV), Fiber: 26g (104% DV), Total Fat: 22g (34% DV), Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g (13% DV), Cholesterol: 0mg (0% DV), Sodium: 290mg (12% DV), Carbohydrates: 79g (26% DV), Total Sugars: 17g, Added Sugars: 0g (0% DV). Not a significant source of trans fat.
Contains: Tree nuts.

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