These lentil patties with olives and herbs are not only really easy to make but also will impress even your non-veg friends!
There are many different forms of healthy and tasty food out there, with each one being equally as delicious as the last. When we think of healthy foods, however, we often think of foods such as: quinoa, chia seeds, broccoli, kale, and so on. One food stuff that is often overlooked, however, is the humble lentil, and that is such a shame. Lentils are a proud member of the legume family, and these edible pulses not only taste fantastic, they are also very healthy and good for you as well. We have been consuming lentils for more than 9000 years thus far, and the benefits are there for all to see. If your diet lacks lentils, take a look at the following and you’ll soon find yourself stocking up on these wonderful pulses.
How should lentils be prepared and used?
Before we look into the health benefits of lentils, we’ll first briefly take a look at how lentils are prepared and used. Ideally, lentils should be rinsed well under clean running water and left to soak for around an hour. They should then be drained and submerged in liquid, either boiling water, or a broth. People often use lentils to bulk out soups, stews, and curries, though they can be turned into delicious main dishes as well. Ideally, they should cook for at least 30 minutes.
Key health benefits of lentils
Now that we know how to prepare them, let’s take a look at what makes lentils so healthy:
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Rich in plant-based protein
Individuals following meat-free diets often lack protein. Lentils are the highest source of plant-based protein on the planet, making them great for people looking to increase their protein intake. Protein helps build muscle, plus it repairs our cells and promotes optimal cellular function.
They lower harmful cholesterol
In our bodies, we have HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is very good for us, whereas LDL is very bad for us. LDL is responsible for fatty deposits and build ups in our arteries, leading to all kinds of health problems and dangers. Lentils are packed full of soluble fiber, which has been found to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol. Therefore, lentils can significantly reduce your chances of suffering from heart disease, stroke, heart attacks, hypertension, and more.
Lentils regulate blood glucose levels
Another key benefit of lentils is the fact that they regulate blood glucose (sugar) levels. The soluble fiber helps to slow down the digestion of simple carbohydrates in the digestive system, which in turns helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. This is very useful for people suffering from, or at risk from, diabetes.
Rich in B vitamins
Often times we find ourselves lacking certain B vitamins, which are essential for a healthy metabolism. Lentils are rich in B vitamins, especially folic acid. This means that lentils help promote a healthy metabolism, and can help provide increased levels of energy for the body. Not only that, but folic acid is also very important when it comes to the formation of new red blood cells, making it great for the bloodstream. Folic acid is also very, very important and beneficial for pregnant women.
Now that you know how healthy lentils are, here’s something about this lentil patties recipe. As you have probably noticed, I LOVE veggie patties!!! Lentils, chickpea, beans, quinoa, millet… I love trying new base ingredients for my veggie patties recipes and experiment with flavors and textures. Even when I wasn’t a vegetarian, I don’t remember being so crazy about meatballs or meat patties. I rarely ate them, but now, not a week passes by without trying a new vegetarian patty recipe.
Red lentils are among my favorite ingredients for vegetarian patties. I use them often because they don’t have to be boiled for a long time (15 minutes is enough for red lentils) and also because they’re very nutritious, have a nice color and a great taste!
Hope you’ll try this recipe! I promise you’ll love it!
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 Tbsps psyllium husks (or one large egg)
- 4 Tbsps nutritional yeast
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- breadcrumbs – about ⅔ cup, more or less
- sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- oil, for frying
- Add lentils in a pot and cover them with water. From the moment they start boiling, let them boil for about 15 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Strain the lentils very well and put them in a large bowl. Start mashing them a little, using a fork.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except oil.
- Using a fork, or your hands, start mixing the composition. It has to be sticky and easy to shape. If it’s not it means that you didn’t strain the lentils very good and the composition is too wet. No problem, just add more breadcrumbs until it has a dough-like consistency.
- Spray a non-stick pan with some oil. Not too much. Put each patty on the frying pan and let it fry about 2 minutes on each side.
Lentils fan? Check out these delicious red lentil recipes: Lentils, Veggies and Mushroom Bake, Red Lentil Creamy Pâté, Red Lentil Veggie Burger Patties with Greens and Creamy Red Lentil Soup .
40 Comments on “Lentil Patties with Olives and Herbs”
FYI, nutritional yeast is a source of B12 and replaces cheese for any vegans. Usually not found in US in super markets, but Whole Foods, etc (Health Foid Stores. Or on line. Be sure is nutritional yeast, not brewers yeast which is bitter. Can take a little getting used to, but I love it. I put on grits instead of butter or cheese. Could be left out just may have to alter liquids to replace dry. B12 is a problem for vegans, so that is reason, most use it.
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Excellent recipe! I’m not a huge onion lover, so to anyone else who is in the same boat as me, maybe try softening the onions first in in a pan so they’re less prominent. I’ll be trying that next time!
Thanks, Emily! That’s a great tip! I love onion so I don’t mind the taste, but for those who don’t like it that much it it’s a great idea! 🙂
Hi Ruxandra, thanks for the recipe! I’m a little confused tho, the directions mention adding potato but it’s not listed in the ingredients… Has it been replaced with the egg or do I still need to add it? Thanks! x
Hi Nat! Sorry, I updated the recipe yesterday because I tried it with flax egg instead of potato and found out it was better this way. I modified the recipe. You can use either egg or flax egg.
I was actually in the middle of making this when I saw you updated the webpage. Luckily I read through the recipe once before but when you updated it, you left out the part about the how to cook the potato and when to add the flaxseed. The potato made it in, the flaxseed did not. I realized that too late. They were dry unfortunately :/
Oh.. I’m sorry to hear this. It was bad timing. I updated the recipe because I made it again yesterday and used “flax egg” instead of potato. I thought it was better this way. They didn’t turn out dry when I made them with potato either. Did you fry them or bake them? For baking the patty must be greased a little bit with oil on both sides. It dries a bit in the oven and by greasing it it becomes crunchy instead. I usually prefer lightly frying them. It’s quicker. Hope you’ll give them a try again! 🙂
I’m not much of a cook so I need more specific directions. What size/weight potato? Also, what is “bunch” of parsley? In our stores the parsley comes in really huge batches. I’m sure that’s not what you mean. But can you give an estimate in terms of how many cups of chopped parsley? And is it curly or flat parsley — they have different flavors!
Hi Jem! Medium potato, 1/2 cup chopped flat parsley.
Just curious, what kind of potato did you use? Would a sweet potato work?
To Deb, I highly encourage you to get “Myfitnesspal” you can import the recipe straight from the site in 2 seconds using the url & be done. Its an awesome feature.
Hi Sarah! I used a normal white potato. I’m not familiar with the kinds of potatoes available in other countries (like Russet, Idaho and so on) because in my country they’re a bit different, so I can’t suggest a special kind of potato.
Yes, you can use sweet potatoes as well, but the taste will be a bit different. It will have a somewhat sweeter taste. I don’t think that would be a problem.
Let me know if you try this recipe and if you like it! 🙂
Hi. I’m allergic to yeast. Any suggestions for a replacement? Thanks.
Hi Blair! Skip it. Add some breadcrumbs or flour instead if the composition is too moist. Start by adding 1 Tbsps and mix. Check if the patties are easy to form. if not, add a little bit more.
These look yummy but what is the purpose of the yeast, what do you miss by not adding it?
Hi Ashley! It’s nutitional yeast flakes, not regular yeast used for baking. It adds both taste (it has a cheese-like taste) and also acts as a binding agent.
Are yeast flakes the same as nutritional yeast?
Yes, inactive dry yeast flakes are the same with nutritional yeast. 🙂
What are inactive dry yeast flakes? Is it nutritional yeast?
Yes, inactive dry yeast flakes are the same with nutritional yeast. 🙂
What are yeast flakes and where do I get them?
Inactive dry yeast flakes are the same with nutritional yeast. They can be found in most supermarkets I think.
Looks yummy! Are these 100% advocare-approved though? The breadcrumbs and salt seem questionable. Thought we couldn’t have simple carbs or added salt?
Thanks!
Thanks, Mandy! I don’t know what advocare-approved means. You can add some tapioca flour instead of breadcrumbs, or whole grain flour. Salt is needed.
These look wonderful! Please could you tell me how big the a potato to use for recipe?
Hi Emily! Thanks! 😀 A medium-sized potato is ok.
I made a recipe similar to your. Using s French lentils( black small ones) with potato. I’ll try your recipe now.
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
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Cu ce sa inlocuiesc oul si totusi sa se lege compozitia? 🙂
Incearca cu vreo 1-2 cartofi fierti si facuti piure. Eu asa am inceput sa inlocuiesc oul in chiftelute. Fierb cartofii in coaja, ii decojesc si ii pasez. Se leaga foarte bine chiftelutele.
anyone have the nutritional value or calories on these?
Sorry Michele, I don’t calculate the nutritional values for my recipes.
If you could, it would be greatly appreciated. I don’t have to watch calories, but carbs, so before making anything I have to sit down and calculate whether the recipes are worth me making. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this situation – just thinking if lots of us are calculating, maybe 1 person calculating could be the easiest.
Sure, I’ll think about it and maybe add it in the future. 🙂
Eu le-am facut cu linte verde si au iesit bune. Nu trebuie neaparat linte rosie.
Da, lintea rosie e o preferinta personala 😀 Ma bucur mult ca ti-au placut!
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mmm … arata delicioase 🙂
Ma bucur ca iti plac Ioana! Sa imi spui cum ti-au iesit daca le incerci 🙂