FOOD NEWS
The Canned Lentil Soup Hack You Need For Delectable Veggie Burgers
By Meaghan Cameron
While many classic vegetarian burger recipes call for cooked or canned lentils, using lentil soup can add extra flavor and take your veggie burger to the next level.
This hack works with almost any vegetarian burger recipe and lentil soup — just replace the usual beans with the soup and make a few adjustments to bind the burgers together.
According to Stephen Janke, a professionally trained chef, using cold lentil soup is crucial for achieving the right texture in a lentil burger.
Cold lentil soup will help you avoid the hassle of adding hot aromatics, as many canned soups already include them. Choose a soup that has a pre-mix of flavors you enjoy.
The most important step when making lentil soup burgers is to drain the liquid from the can. Then, add starchy binders to achieve the desired consistency.
Renowned chefs like Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine prefer cooked rice as a binder, while chef Brooks Headley from New York City's Superiority Burger uses quinoa and breadcrumbs.
For a beefier texture, you can also add ground walnuts. Once the mixture is ready, shape the burgers into rounds, and if desired, chill them again before cooking.