INGREDIENTS​

Burgers:

• 2 aubergines

• 2 medium red onions

• 100g chestnut mushrooms

• 170g wholemeal breadcrumbs

• 1.5 cups cooked green lentils 

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 tblsp lime juice

• Salt and pepper

• 2 tsp paprika

• 2 tblsp sriracha

• 2 tblsp fresh chopped thyme

• Olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 tblsp sunflower seeds

• Salt and pepper

 

To serve:

• Tomato salsa

• Mango chutney

• Red pepper humus

• Spinach

• Sliced cooked mushrooms

• Pickles

• Sundried tomatoes

• Brown wholemeal bread rolls

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METHOD

1. Cut off and throw away the ends of the aubergine, chop in half lengthways and place on an oven tray under the grill for about 15 minutes, until the skins have blackened and wrinkled, then remove from the grill and set aside to cool,

2. While they are cooking, cut the onions into thin slices, discarding the skins and fry on low heat in a little olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes, add these to a small bowl  along with the cooked green lentils and set aside,

3. Next, wash the mushrooms and chop into thin slices, then cook these in a little olive oil over medium/low heat for about 15 minutes, until browned and soft, set these aside to use as toppings later,

4. Once the aubergines have cooled, gently peel back the skins and throw these away, then chop into chunks and add to a bowl with the onions and lentils, peel the skin off the garlic cloves and crush to add to the bowl too,

5. Using a hand blender mix until well combined then add rest of the burger ingredients to the bowl and mix well

6. Form into large balls and flatten into patties to your preferred size, I like to keep them under 2cm thick, as these cook better, creating a browned crispy outer edge

7. In a pan with a little olive oil over medium heat, cook the burgers for about 5-10 minutes each side until light brown and crisp, 

8. You could also cook these on tray in the oven, which is great option to use less oil, or I you want to cook them outdoors on a bbq, lay them gently on a piece of tinfoil and this can be cooked over the bbq, 

9. While they are cooking, prepare the rolls, and spread with your choice of either humus, chutney and tomato salsa, top with the cooked veggie burger and mushrooms and any other preferred extras from the list above. I love using pickles, mushrooms, spinach and sundried tomatoes

10. Serve with salads and enjoy!