Sprouted Green Lentil Burgers with Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce
Transform simple, budget-friendly staples into a low-effort, high-protein, high-fibre summer meal for six with this Sprouted Green Lentil Burgers with Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce recipe.
Servings 6 burgers
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Sprouted Green Lentil Burgers with Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce (Makes 6):
- 6 Sprouted green lentil burger patties (recipe below)
- 6 Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain buns , toasted (sesame or plain)
- ¾ cup vegan pickle dip sauce (2 Tbsp/burger, recipe below)
- to taste ketchup
- to taste mustard (yellow, Dijon, or grainy)
- to taste fresh sprouts (or lettuce, baby spinach, or other greens)
- to taste fresh tomato , sliced (optional)
- to taste dill pickles , sliced (optional)
Ingredients for the Sprouted Green Lentil Burger Patties:
- 1 cup green lentils , sprouted 3 – 4 days (about 5 cups sprouted lentils, see tip)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp onion powder (or ¼-cup onion, finely chopped (see tip))
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ – ¾ cup sprouted breadcrumbs , from our easy sprouted breadcrumb recipe (or more as needed, see instructions)
- 1 Tbsp oil
Ingredients for the Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce:
- ½ package (200g / 7.05 oz) dairy-free cream cheese (we used Violife Supreme Cream Cheese)
- ¼ cup plain non-dairy yogurt , unsweetened (or see tip)
- ¼ cup dairy-free sour cream (or see tip (we used Earth's Own Dairy-free Sour Cream Alternative))
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp vegan ranch seasoning (recipe below)
- 3 – 4 medium dill pickles , chopped
- 1 Tbsp pickle juice (from the jar)
- 4 – 6 slices pickled jalapeño , chopped (optional, or add more to taste)
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 cup dairy-free cheddar , grated
Ingredients for the Vegan Ranch Seasoning:
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
- 2 Tbsp dried chives
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp dried mustard
Instructions
Instructions for the Sprouted Green Lentil Burgers with Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce:
- Prepare sprouted green lentil burger patties and plant-based viral pickle dip burger sauce with vegan ranch seasoning.
- Toast buns as desired, then spread 2 tablespoons of vegan pickle dip sauce on the bottom half of each bun. Squeeze or spread your favourite burger condiments—like ketchup or mustard—on the top half.
- Place a hot sprouted green lentil burger patty on the bottom half of each bun, then top with sliced tomato, sliced pickles, and a generous handful of fresh sprouts or greens. Close the burger and enjoy!
Instructions for the Sprouted Green Lentil Burger Patties:
- If you haven't yet, rinse then soak your lentils overnight, and sprout for 2 to 3 days per our Sprouting at Home How-to Guide from our What? • Why? • Try! sprouted education series.
- In a food processor or high-powered blender, add sprouted lentils, tomato paste, flour, salt, and spices. Process or blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. (See tip for a more textured option).
- Transfer lentil purée to a medium sized bowl. Mix in ½-cup sprouted breadcrumbs, adding more as needed to form a dough you can easily shape into patties. How much you need depends on how much water is in your lentils and how loose or tightly packed they were when measured. Aim for a cookie dough consistency (the kind you roll into balls before baking).
- Divide dough into 6 even portions. Roll each into a ball, then flatten to form patties.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet on medium. When hot, add oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the patties and pan fry until the first side is golden brown, then flip and cook until you have a deep golden brown crust on both sides and patties are hot in the centre (165°F), about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
- Store leftover sprouted lentil burger patties in an airtight container for up to 5 days (see tip).
Instructions for the Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce:
- In a food processor, stand mixer, or medium-sized bowl with electric beaters, cream together the dairy-free cream cheese, sour cream and/or yogurt, vegan mayo, pickle juice, and ranch seasoning until well mixed.
- (If using a food processor, transfer dip base to a medium-sized bowl for easier mixing.)
- Fold chopped pickles, green onions, pickled jalapeños, and cheddar-style shreds into the dip with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.
- Transfer vegan viral pickle dip sauce to a container with a lid and refrigerate unused portions for up to a week.
Instructions for the Vegan Ranch Seasoning:
- Mix all ingredients in a small container with a lid, and store as you would other spices. Makes enough for 4 batches of Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce.
Tips
**For the Sprouted Lentil Burger Patties:**- **Lentils triple in volume when sprouted!** Use a 1-litre (32-oz/1-quart) mason jar or larger or split your lentils between two 500ml (16-oz/1-pint) jars—you won’t be able to rinse a dense block of lentil sprouts forced to grow in a too-small container properly. (And compacted sprouts are harder to get out of an under-sized jar than a root-bound houseplant in a too-small pot).- **Don’t stop at regular green lentils! Sprouted brown, French, crimson, black, or large green lentils will all work for this recipe** (though their total dry-to-sprouted volume and sprouting times may differ ± a day). - **The only kind of lentils you can’t use in this sprouted burger recipe? Red lentils**—they’re split for fast cooking and can’t be sprouted because they’re not a whole, intact seed. (Yellow and white/ivory lentils can’t be subbed, either. Not because they’re split yellow peas and skinned black gram beans and not true lentils. But because, for the same reason as red lentils, they just can’t be sprouted). - Note: Because these veggie burger patties are cooked, go ahead and sprout grocery store dried lentils for this recipe. **For fresh sprouts, it’s best to use lentils grown and packaged specifically for home sprouting**—learn [how to sprout safely with 7 simple rules](https://silverhillsbakery.ca/article/sprouting-at-home-sprout-safely-with-these-simple-rules/) and get our [Sprouting at Home How-to Guide](https://silverhillsbakery.ca/article/sprouting-at-home-a-how-to-guide/) in *[Try Sprouted](https://silverhillsbakery.ca/why-sprouted/try-sprouted/)*, part 3 of our *What? • Why? • Try!* sprouted education series.- **Add more texture to your sprouted lentil burger patties—try these two tricks** (together or alone): - **Trick 1:** Set aside 1 cup of sprouted lentils before blending, then mix them in by hand after the rest of the ingredients have been blended smooth. - **Trick 2:** Swap out the onion powder for ¼ to ½-cup finely chopped onion, (raw or sautéed to soften), then mix by hand per trick 1.**For the Vegan Pickle Dip Sauce:**- **Only have non-dairy yogurt or just have diary-free sour cream?** Don't take a special trip to the store! Just use ½-cup all plain non-dairy yogurt or ½-cup all dairy-free sour cream if you only have one or the other.- **Try leftover vegan pickle dip sauce as a veggie dip**—or with your favourite whole grain tortilla chips!- **Crave texture? Add the pickles and sliced jalapeño at the end of step 1** if you’re using a food processor and pulse a few times until just combined.**For the Vegan Ranch Seasoning:**- **Can't find dried chives? Use fresh and speed-dry them yourself!** Here's how: rinse fresh chives, use scissors or finely chop, and spread evenly on a piece of paper towel on a plate. Microwave chives on high for 1 minute. Check for dryness, stir to break up any clumps, and return to the microwave in 30-second increments until chives are fully dry.
To Freeze
Stack sprouted lentil burger patties with a square of parchment or waxed paper between each patty, place in a container with a lid, and freeze for up to a month.
To Reheat
Place cold or defrosted sprouted lentil burger patties on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warm in the centre.