Savory Lentil Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

Introducing my latest vegan traveler challenge.... 

BROWN RICE LENTIL BURGERS! 

With so few faux meat options here in Argentina, I was seriously craving some sort of veggie burger and decided to take things into my own hands! I knew this was going to be a tricky one to pull off, but desperate times call for desperate matters!

The Final Result

I decided to try a lentil burger above other veg options, because lentils (or lentejas in Spanish) are plentiful and cheap in Argentinian supermarkets. The lentils and other ingredients fit easily into my travelers budget and I wanted to make a big portion so that I could eat them over a few days.

For my recipe, I looked through these options and ended up combining them according to what I had available in my kitchen. Below you will find the recipes I stumbled upon (there's so many available). I definitely think that it's easiest to pick the one that best fits your circumstances as a traveler and go from there. For most of these, you can omit some fancy ingredients and they will still come out just fine. 

Lentil Burger Tutorial 1

Lentil Burger Tutorial 2

Brown Rice and Lentil Burger Recipe

Easy Lentil Veggie Burgers Vegan

Hearty Lentil and Brown Rice Burger

I decided on boiling the lentils, blending half of them, and adding salt/pepper, and sauteed shredded carrots, onions, garlic, and beets. I then mixed them all together with whole wheat breadcrumbs and brown rice. Then after greasing my pan, I shaped them into patties and baked them for about 25 minutes.

The outcome: The lentil burgers tasted great but came out a bit dry and didn't stick together really well. The taste was actually much better when frying them on the stove, but the consistency turned out much better in the oven (they hardened more in the oven and fell apart on the stove). 

Bottom Line: As a traveler, it would have been easier and taken much less time and effort just to boil your lentils and then sautee them with the veggies and breadcrumbs. You would get the same delicious taste and all the same nutrients without all the hassle. But if you have some time, go for it! However, I think this challenge was a little bit too ambitious for me along my cooking journey and so I probably won't be trying this recipe again until I return home.