The Best Vegan Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Here are the simple ingredients you'll need to make the best vegan lentil black bean burgers:

Be sure to check out the Substitutions below for ideas on how to customize the recipe to your preference. Please note you will cook the lentils and will use precooked black beans for this recipe.

• Lentils - Cooking lentils takes 20 minutes; I often cook them the day before making this recipe. You can buy canned or precooked lentils. Drain them well to avoid mushy burgers.
• Black beans - Use precooked beans, whether you use canned black beans or cook them yourself. After cooking a batch, I usually keep some in the freezer. Rinse canned beans with fresh water and drain well.
• Ground flax seeds - Mix with water to make flax eggs as an egg replacement to help with binding the burgers. I buy pre-ground flax seeds and store them in the fridge.
• Gluten-free rolled oats - You can use regular rolled oats. Oats are used for binding the burgers.
• Psyllium husk powder - This acts as a binder and is rich in fiber. I buy psyllium husk powder in a small bag at Natural Grocers. You can easily find it online.
• Gluten-free oat flour - You can make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender.
• Sunflower seeds for texture and taste, plus they are nutritious.
• Parsley - I used Italian parsley, but you can use whichever parsley you prefer. Or cilantro!

A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.

Substitutions

Feel free to experiment! The recipe is a guide. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about them.

• Black beans - You can use other beans, such as cannellini beans or chickpeas. Use cooked beans (cooked fresh or canned).
• Carrot - If you don't have any, you can skip them or use shredded zucchini (remove water) or finely chopped bell pepper instead.
• Chile powder - you can use ancho chile powder or skip it. You can try another seasoning that you enjoy!
• Ground flaxseed - you can use chia seeds as an alternative.
• Gluten-free oat flour - You can make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender.
• Grapeseed oil or avocado oil - use olive oil instead.
• Lentils - you can use cooked beans instead; rinse and drain them first if using canned beans. Want more beans than lentils? Reduce the lentils or replace them with the beans of your choice.
• Fresh parsley - you can use fresh cilantro if you prefer.
• Psyllium husk - I haven't tried this recipe with substitutes; you can try xanthan gum if you have it (use half the amount), cornstarch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot powder, or a combination of flaxseed meal and chia seeds. Let me know what you try and how it worked out!
• Sunflower seeds - if you don't have them, you can use walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
• Smoked paprika - you can use cumin if you prefer or try another seasoning such as Italian seasoning, oregano, or poultry seasoning.

Serve these vegan black bean lentil burgers immediately with vegan burger buns and your favorite toppings. We love these with leaf lettuce, pickled onion, sliced heirloom tomato, sliced avocado, and vegan mayo and ketchup.

Note: You can cook these patties on a stovetop grill pan and follow the same instructions, or cook them on a grill outside. Baking instructions are below.

What Is the Texture of These Vegan Black Bean Lentil Burgers?

We've been to many restaurants and have encountered burgers on either side of the spectrum-mushy vegan burgers that immediately fell into our laps or vegetarian burgers that were too dry and started to fall apart.

This vegan burger falls in between; the texture is just right and it holds together with the lentils and black beans. My husband declares this to be "the perfect burger." These burgers are moist without being mushy. If your burgers turned out this way, I have suggestions; read on.

How Do I Prevent Mushy Lentil Black Bean Vegan Burgers?

You can take a few steps to prevent mushy black bean lentil vegan burgers from occurring. Here are a few tips:

• Drain the beans and lentils well, gently patting them dry with a clean, lint-free kitchen towel if needed to absorb excess moisture. After cooking beans, rinse and drain them, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet to cool down and dry slightly before placing them in a plastic bag or airtight storage container.
• If the burger mixture looks too wet, stir in a tablespoon or two of oat flour at a time. Be sure to include the psyllium husk. I haven't ever needed to add flour, but it's an option.
• If the vegan burgers are too thick, flatten them a little. They shouldn't be thicker than ½ inch, or they will take longer to cook through.
• Cook the vegan burgers for a bit longer, ensuring the pan is hot enough (medium heat). Ensure they are browned on the bottom before flipping them.