Lentil & Almond Burgers

We had these the other night. THey are quite tastey and a nice replacement for beef. The kids really enjoyed them.

Lentil and Almond Burgers

6 cups water
1 cup brown lentils or green French lentils
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 T lemon juice

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until very tender and beginning to break down, about 25 minutes for brown lentils or 30 minutes for green lentils. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, shallot and celery and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add almonds, thyme, salt & pepper; continue cooking until the almonds are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor; add 1 cup of the cooked lentils. Pulse several times, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the remaining lentils. Let cool for 10 minutes. Mix in egg yolk and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Form the lentil mixture into 5 patties. Heat the remaining 1 T oil in a large non-stick skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn gently and continue to cook until lightly browned and heated through, 3-4 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Makes 5 servings.

228 calories; 9 g fat (1g sat, 6g mono); 41 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 11g protein; 7g fiber; 276 mg sodium