Vegetarian Recipe ⤞ 'Meat's Too Expensive!' Vegetarian Burgers

Veggie burgers with a kick! My husband and I are not vegetarians at all, but we're trying to cut down on the amount of chicken and meat we eat because it's so expensive. Lentils do the job here: super cheap, super easy, super tasty! Serve on big buns with tomato slices, onion, ketchup, and avocado instead of mayo!

Ingredients

• water to cover
• 1 cup dried lentils
• ½ cup wheat germ
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green chile pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided

Cooking Directions

1. Pour enough water into a pot that will cover lentils and wheat germ; bring to a boil. Add lentils and wheat germ, reduce heat, and simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water if needed, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pot from heat and cool slightly; mash lentil mixture until thick and lumpy.
2. Transfer mashed lentil mixture to a bowl. Mix onion, green bell pepper, mozzarella cheese, egg, green chile pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper into lentil mixture until thoroughly mixed; shape into 8 patties.
3. Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Lower heat to medium-high and cook 4 patties in the hot oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and patties.

Nutrition Facts

• calories195.1
• carbohydrateContent19.8 g
• cholesterolContent25.5 mg
• fatContent9 g
• fiberContent8.6 g
• proteinContent9.7 g
• saturatedFatContent1.8 g
• sodiumContent34.6 mg
• sugarContent1.2 g