Makes 4 burgers or 8 mini burgers

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cooked lentils

1 small onion, diced

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/8 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or goat cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 avocados, peeled and pitted

1 lime, juiced, or 1 tablespoon of lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 roma tomato, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 clove of garlic, minced

Directions

Step 1: Ciabatta bread or buns of your choice, enough for at least four sandwiches Shredded lettuce

Step 2: After cooking the lentils, either mash them by hand or pulse them in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Then, put them in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add the onion, egg, bell pepper, and breadcrumbs to the lentils and mix together. Once well-combined, add the cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Step 4: Divide the mixture into four or eight equal-sized portions (whatever you’d prefer) and roll them into balls, and then flatten them into patties. Refrigerate patties for at least an hour.

Step 5: In the meantime, make the guacamole. Put the avocado in a medium bowl and toss with the lime juice so it’s evenly coated. Drain the lime juice out of the bowl and reserve it. Then add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and mash everything together. Once it’s a good consistency, fold in the onions, tomatoes, and parsley. Finish by adding the reserved lime juice and let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

Step 6: Spread the cornmeal into a wide, shallow bowl and dredge the patties in the cornmeal so they are evenly coated.

Step 7: Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil’s hot enough, add the patties and cook them in the skillet until browned about 5 minutes on each side.

Step 8: Spread the guacamole on the bottom bun, and top with the lentil burger. Add some shredded lettuce to the top of the burger (and any other toppings you’d like).