Spiced Lentil & Walnut Patties with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Total Time
0 Mins
Serves
6
Meal
Dinner Lunch

Total Time

Prep Time
0 Mins
Cook Time
0 Mins
Total Time
0 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
402 cal
Total Fat
24 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
313 mg
Carbohydrates
34 g
Dietary Fiber
8 g
Protein
15 g

Ingredients

Spiced Lentil & Walnut Patties

  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 ounces (3 packed cups) baby spinach
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup California walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour (or other flour)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Sauce

  • 1 cup roasted red peppers, drained
  • ½ cup California walnuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (omit to keep the recipe vegan)
  • Kosher salt

Serving

  • Whole grain pita bread
  • Baby spinach or lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumbers

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
  2. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan with 1 ½ cups water.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar so that the water doesn’t boil over.  Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.  Let cool. 
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook 2-3 minutes until wilted.  Season the mixture with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
  4. Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped.  Add the vegetables from the pan along with the flour, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and about half of the cooked lentils. Pulse until walnuts are finely chopped and ingredients are combined.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining lentils. 
  5. Coat a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Form the lentil mixture into balls using a small cookie scoop, about 1 ½ tablespoons each.  Place the balls on the sheet pan and flatten them slightly with your hand.  Brush the tops of the patties with the remaining tablespoon of oil.   
  6. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes.  Flip and cook another 10-12 minutes.   
  7. To make the sauce, puree the roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, yogurt and a pinch of salt together in a food processor until smooth (for an even smoother consistency, puree in a blender). 
  8. Serve the patties in pita bread pockets with spinach or lettuce, tomato, and cucumber slices.  Alternatively, patties can be served on a bed of vegetables.  Top with sauce.  Devour!