Protein Power Lentils and Amaranth Patties
Amaranth patties are protein-rich fritters made by boiling red lentils and amaranth together, then mixing them with onion, parsley, nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, and a binder before pan-frying until golden. They hold their shape thanks to an egg or psyllium husks, turn crispy outside and tender inside, and come together in about 30 minutes.
I don’t know if you remember, but a few weeks ago I posted a photo on Facebook with my white beans and amaranth patties ready to go into the oven, and I promised you the recipe. Well, I won’t be able to show you the final photos because I was clumsy as usual. I took the tray out of the oven, I didn’t grab it right, I burned myself, and all the patties fell on the floor. They were not even ready yet. I barely managed to save 3 or 4 amaranth patties, and I was so hungry I ate them all right away.
I liked amaranth so much that I decided to give it another try. This time I combined it with red lentils, and the result was this delicious version. Both amaranth and lentils are very high in protein, so if you want a meatless meal that actually fills you up, this is the one I keep coming back to.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A protein-rich vegetarian main that does not lean on mock meat or tofu
- A way to use up the half-cup of amaranth sitting in your pantry
- A make-ahead patty you can fry now and reheat through the week
- A budget-friendly meal built almost entirely from dry pantry staples
- A patty you can keep gluten-free, since the card already calls for GF breadcrumbs
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is truly protein-rich. Red lentils and amaranth are two of the highest-protein plant foods you can put in a patty, so one serving keeps you full for hours.
- The texture is crispy outside, tender inside. Boiling the lentils and amaranth just until soft, then frying in a thin layer of oil, gives you that contrast without deep-frying.
- It is flexible on the binder. Use one egg for the standard version, or 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks to make it fully vegan.
- The nutritional yeast carries the flavor. Four tablespoons add a savory, almost cheesy depth that makes these taste like more than the sum of their parts.
- The olives are the upgrade. They are marked optional on the card, but I add them every time for those little bursts of salt and brine.
- It is fast. Fifteen minutes of boiling, a quick mix, and two minutes a side in the pan.
Ingredient Notes
Red lentils are the base here, and they are the right choice because they cook fast and break down into a soft, sticky mass that holds a patty together. You want them soft but not soup. Buy split red lentils (sometimes labeled masoor dal) rather than whole brown or green ones, which stay firm and will not bind. Rinse them until the water runs clear before they go in the pot.
Amaranth is the tiny seed that gives these patties their name and a good part of their protein. When you shop for it, look for whole amaranth grain, not amaranth flour, and check that it smells fresh and slightly nutty rather than oily, since the seeds are high in fat and can turn rancid on a slow shelf. Because the seeds are so small, they turn gelatinous as they boil, which is exactly what you want here, since that stickiness helps hold the mix together.
Onion goes in diced and raw, and it softens as the patties fry. Dice it as finely as you can so it cooks through in the short time the patties spend in the pan; big chunks stay sharp and can stop a patty from binding cleanly.
Nutritional yeast brings the savory, cheesy note that makes these patties taste seasoned rather than plain. Buy the flaked kind in a resealable bag or tub and keep it somewhere dark, since light dulls its flavor over time. Four tablespoons sounds like a lot, but with lentils and amaranth it lands just right.
The binder, egg or psyllium husks, is what stops the patties from falling apart in the pan. One egg works for the standard batch. For a vegan version, 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks swell into a gel that grips everything together, so let the mix rest a couple of minutes after adding them.
Breadcrumbs are your moisture dial. The card uses half a cup of gluten-free breadcrumbs, but the real instruction is to add more if the mix is too moist. They soak up extra liquid so the patties are firm enough to shape by hand.
Black olives are listed as optional, but recommended, and I agree with that note. Pitted and sliced, they scatter little pockets of salt and brine through the patty. If you skip them, taste the mix and add a touch more salt to compensate.
Tips
- Strain well after boiling. The card says boil for 15 minutes, then strain. Wet lentils mean a wet mix, and a wet mix means patties that spread and break. Press out the water and let them cool slightly before mixing.
- Test the mix before you commit. If a patty does not hold its shape easily in your hand, that is your signal to add more breadcrumbs, a tablespoon at a time, exactly as the card recommends.
- Keep them small. The card portions one tablespoon per patty. Small patties cook through in the two minutes a side the recipe calls for; oversized ones brown outside while the center stays raw.
- Wait for the oil to shimmer. A properly hot non-stick pan is what gives you a crisp crust instead of a greasy one. You know it is ready when a tiny bit of the mix sizzles the moment it touches the pan.
- Drain on paper towel. Resting the fried patties on a paper-towel-lined plate, as the recipe says, pulls off the excess oil and keeps the crust crisp instead of soggy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it vegan. Swap the egg for 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks, which the card lists as the vegan binder, and use certified vegan breadcrumbs.
- Change the herb. Parsley is what the recipe calls for, but chopped fresh dill or cilantro works in the same half-cup amount if that is what you have.
- Skip or swap the olives. Leave them out for a milder patty, or trade them for chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a different salty-savory note. Adjust the salt if you skip them entirely.
- Bake instead of fry. If you would rather not pan-fry, shape the patties, brush them lightly with oil, and bake until set and golden, the way I first tried with my original amaranth batch.
Storage and Make Ahead
These patties keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days, and they reheat beautifully in a dry non-stick pan or the oven to bring the crust back. You can also freeze them once cooled, layered between parchment, and reheat straight from frozen. The mix itself can be made a few hours ahead and chilled, which actually firms it up and makes shaping easier.
If you love a good patty, I have a whole collection to work through. Try my lentil patties with olives and herbs for another briny, lentil-based version, or these quinoa patties with feta and olives when you want something a little richer. For everything you need to get the texture right, my guide to perfect veggie patties walks through the whole method, and you can browse all my vegan lentil recipes for more protein-packed ideas.
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Protein Power Lentils and Amaranth Patties
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- ½ cup amaranth
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 1 egg or 2 Tbsp psyllium husks for vegan version
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ cup breadcrumbs GF
- 2 Tbsp black olives pitted, sliced, optional but recommended
- salt and ground pepper to taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the red lentils and amaranth to a pot. Cover with water and boil for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
- Transfer them to a large bowl and mix in all the other ingredients except the oil. If the mixture is too moist, add more breadcrumbs; it should be firm enough to shape easily into patties.
- Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
- Form the patties, using about 1 Tbsp of the mixture per patty.
- Fry for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer the amaranth patties to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
As written, the recipe uses one egg as the binder, which makes it vegetarian. To make it fully vegan, swap the egg for 2 tablespoons of psyllium husks and use vegan breadcrumbs. Everything else in the patty is plant-based.
They can be. Amaranth and red lentils are naturally gluten-free, and the recipe already calls for gluten-free breadcrumbs. Just confirm your nutritional yeast and any added seasonings are certified gluten-free if you need the whole dish to be safe.
Patties usually fall apart when the mix is too wet. Strain the boiled lentils and amaranth well, and add more breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds its shape easily in your hand. Keeping the patties small, about one tablespoon each, also helps them stay together when you fry them.
Add the red lentils and amaranth to a pot together, cover with water, and boil for 15 minutes, then strain them. The tiny amaranth seeds turn slightly gelatinous as they cook, which helps bind the patties. Let them cool a little before you mix in the other ingredients.
Yes. The recipe pan-fries the patties for about 2 minutes a side in a little oil, but you can shape them, brush them lightly with oil, and bake until set and golden instead. Frying gives the crispest crust, while baking uses less oil.
Keep cooked patties in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them once cooled. Reheat in a dry non-stick pan or the oven to bring the crust back, rather than microwaving, which leaves them soft.
For the amaranth Patties do you mean 4 Tablespoons (usually if capital means Tablespoons) or teaspoons
Thank you
Nora
Hi Nora! Yes, Tbsp is tablespoon and tsp is teaspoon.
I only have amaranth flour now. Could that be used? Cook the lentils and then add the flour afterwards?
Hi Skylar. Unfortunately, no. The texture will be gummy. You can just skip the amaranth and make them with just lentils.
I’m gonna try this! It looks delicious! And plus, it looks the easiest way ever to make a vegan patty!
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe, looks great. Can I use sprouted lentils instead since I can’t tolerate legumes/lentils otherwise?
Thanks
Hi! It should work. 😉
Hi… I try to cook my toddler clean, healthy foods. Vegan was not a concern for me. Hence, I used two medium organic eggs instead of husks, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese instead of nut. yeast. As mentioned sliced black olives are a very important, tasty addition (I added 1/4 cup). It took 1/2 cup of wholewheat bread crumbs to reach a good consistency. Instead of frying in a pan, I used the snacking tray of T-fal Actifry and the patties tasted like fried in 20min. and no oil was needed. My toddler loved them. I’ll make over and over again. They taste amazing!!!
Hi, Beth! So happy to hear you and your toddler liked these!
Try adding popped amaranth or coconut flour instead of breadcrumbs. It works like a magnet to keep the stuff together and your recipe become gluten-proof.
Great idea!
Amazingly delicious!! I couldn’t find amaranth in the store, so I substituted it for multi color quinoa instead. Also, my boyfriend is allergic to egg so I used ground up chia seeds with a little bit of water to make the paste instead of the egg. It turned out tasting like onions rings! Yum. I might diced Green onion next time instead of the parsley, just to mix it up!
Great substitutes! Sounds delicious! 😀
I’m a rubbish cook – haven’t the time or inclination – can’t I just buy ready made hi-protein legume patties somewhere?
These are SO easy to make and a lot cheaper and tastier than any store-bought patties. Give them a try. Watch my chickpea patties video on the homepage so you can see exactly how it’s made. It’s the same technique for all the veggie patties on my blog.
I needed to add more breadcrumbs. Also, I processed everything excep the lentils, amaranth, and breadcrumbs including some garlic cloves and half a Serrano. Scrumptious!
Glad you liked it, Pat! 😀
Hi – do you have a substitute for the nutritional yeast? Doesn’t have to be vegan. Thanks
Just skip it. 🙂 Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor. If you want to make these patties without psyllium husks and nutritional yeast, just replace them with one beaten egg.
What’s the nutrition value of it?
Hi, Andressa! I don’t count calories, but you can use cronometer.com if you want to. 🙂
I am new to vegan cooking and these were pretty good. I thought these tasted much better with about two teaspoons of crushed garlic and about a teaspoon of salt. Also, maybe my onion was too big, but I think half an onion would be enough.
So glad you liked them! 😀
Do you have a study that shows amaranth’s anti-cancer properties?
Thanks!
Hi Tanya! Check out these: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf072911z and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4888664/
I would like to try your recipes, looks healthy
Made these for dinner today, they came out perfect! Swapped out the breadcrumbs for quick-cooking oats. Very awesome recipe, tasty and simple to prepare.
So glad you liked them, Rekka! 😀 Oats sounds like a great idea! Will try it too. 🙂
They look really good. I will try them this weekend. 🙂 Have you tried freezing them? Since I’m making them only for two 15+ patties are probably a little too much.
Glad you like them, Mona! 🙂 Sure, you can freeze them. I usually cook them and then freeze them and when I want to make some again I just let them thaw a bit and then grill them.
Great, thanks! So then I’ll make the full receipe. 🙂
Looks great but mine fell apart when trying to fry them
I added some flax to help bind but now thinking of baking it instead like a casserole
Also I added some garlic and a little hot pepper and cumin
We ate the Stirfry version ( since that’s how it came out) really quite good!
Did you drain the lentils very well? This is very important. If the lentils are not drained properly and then mashed a little with a fork, you’ll have to add more breadcrumbs, flour or even flax seeds to make the patties stick together.
So creative! I’ve seen chickpea / quinoa patties but never lentils. But it’s smart because they can also be used as a binding agent! Great idea 🙂
Thanks Sarah! 😀 Hope you’ll give them a try! 🙂
i like it
Thanks, Vesna! 😀
Did a bit differently. Cooked it with garlic, Worcester sauce, cumin and salt. Added sweet corn, red bell pepper, some cumin again, cayenne pepper, Lemmon zest and used green olives instead of black. Before rolling the patties, added a bit more amaranth to get more crunch to the bite. I also didn’t make it with white potatoes but with sweet potatoes. Tasted great!
Glad you liked it Shelly! Your recipe sounds great! Will try it too. 🙂
These look delicious! I’m making them tonight!
Are your lentils pre-cooked? (I have a bog of uncooked red lentils but I always fail to make them into somthing yummy :()
Thanks! Glad you like them! 🙂 I always use uncooked red lentils. They’re ready really fast. In 15 minutes they are already boiled.
Thank you for the swift reply! As I live in The Netherlands, it’s exactly in time for dinnertime! 😀
This looks delicious and I can imagine them being just as yummy cold with a dip. Gonna try them out for a Yule buffet. Just as a side note amaranth is also another source of calcium. It seems unless were peddling dairy (which as humans we can’t access the calcium anyway as we’re the wrong species for it) then no-one is willing to state the goodness of the foods which we could be eating for the digestible calcium we humans need. Greens being a prime example along with chia and here amaranth.
It is really good cold too! All veggie patties are 😀 Yes, amaranth is truly amazing. Too bad I don’t use it that often, don’t know why. Maybe I’m not used to it, but I will try to cook with it more. 🙂
These look yummy! Do you blend them with an actual blender or just mix it together with a spoon. Also, do you eat these like a burger or just as-is? Thanks!
Thanks Ann! 🙂 You can either mash them with a fork or blend them with a spoon. They’re so versatile and you can eat them in many ways. I ususally make burgers or serve them with mashed potatoes and a salad. 🙂 Hope you’ll like them!:D
Looks like a great recipe. Do you recommend soaking amaranth before cooking it to remove phytic acid?
I never soaked it before but I think it can’t do any harm. So if you want you can soak it before using it 🙂
I’ve never used amaranth before so want to try this! Do you have a recommended oven temperature?
It was the first time for me too! 😀 Somewhere around 180C/ 356F would be ok.
These look delicious. I’ve yet to eperiment with amaranth but this looks like a good way to start!
Thanks Jo! Amaranth is great! I wish I had discovered it sooner 🙂 I also found some delicious desserts recipes using amaranth. Will try them soon 😉
Rux, cred ca ar trebui sa alegem varianta la cuptor, parerea mea este ca prajitul nu face bine.
Gata, am renuntat la carne, mai ramane sa vad ce fac cu pestele, ca-mi place enorm 🙂
Ai dreptate. Am pus ambele variante. Eu le prajesc in fff putin ulei doar atunci cand ma grabesc. Doar ung tigaia. Se fac in 10 minute toate, fata de jumatate de ora la cuptor.
FELICITARI! Ce ma bucur sa aud asta! 😀 Asa am inceput si eu, cu o dieta mediteraneana. O sa vezi ca treptat o sa raresti si pestele. O sa vina de la sine. Trebuie sa gasesti un echilibru, cum te simti tu mai bine 🙂 Abia astept sa imi spui cat de bine te simti si sa te intrebi oare de ce nu ai facut schimbarea asta mai devreme :)) 😀 Te pup! :*