Whip up a batch of these flavorful Lentil Fritters with Garlic Sauce. Mushrooms, garlic, lentils, quinoa, walnuts, and more come together in this lentil cake recipe.
These lentil patties are great for a tasty vegan lunch or dinner. They're also great for meal prepping! Here is a plant-based recipe that kids and adults can enjoy.
This lentil fritters recipe is...
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Flavorful
- Great for meal prepping
How to Make Lentil Fritters with Garlic Sauce
- Start by cooking your lentils as directed on the package.
- In a saucepan, add oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir occasionally.
- Add in your nuts and pulse the mixture in a food processor until the walnuts form a powder.
- Add the mushroom mixture and half the lentils to a bowl. Add in walnut powder and mix.
- Add your remaining lentils to the dough. Mix well.
- Create 12–15 patties, and pan sear.
Full measurements and directions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Lentil Fritters Variations
Change Up The Vegetables
Feel free to add extra veggies to these lentil fritters. Any finely chopped vegetables can work well in this dish - carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini are all great additions.
Cook in the Air Fryer
Consider air-frying your lentil fritters instead of baking in the oven. Add a small bit of oil to the air fryer, and cook a few lentil patties at a time, making sure to leave space between them for the hot air to circulate.
Swap the Sauce
If you want to skip the garlic sauce, these fritters are perfectly tasty on their own. Try serving them with a simple squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper for a lighter preparation. Or experiment with other dipping sauces like a vegan cheese sauce, vegan alfredo sauce, or even this vegan Big Mac sauce.
FAQs
What can I do with leftover cooked lentils?
This lentil cake recipe has become my go-to way to use up leftover cooked lentils from other recipes like these masala lentils, lentil meatloaf, or this pasta salad with lentils.
What do you serve with lentil fritters?
These vegan-friendly lentil fritters are perfect served with a creamy vegan pasta salad, a fresh vegan salad, or this summery tomato and peach salad.
Why are my fritters soggy?
Most of the time, there are two potential reasons for soggy fritters: not enough dry ingredients or too many liquid ingredients. Eyeballing your measurements can make the fritters off-texture. Make sure to measure all your ingredients carefully!
What's the best way to reheat the lentil fritters?
I have found reheating your lentil cakes in a pan on the stove provides the best texture. When you microwave the lentils, it can make them a bit soggy and rubbery. Slowly heating the lentil cakes on the stove allows the outside to crisp back up!
Interested in More Lentil Recipes?
Here are a few more of my favorite vegan lentil recipes:
Lentil Fritters with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
Lentil cakes
- 2 cups lentils cooked according to package directions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup quinoa cooked according to package directions
- ½ cup walnuts or cashews
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon parsley dry or fresh
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground flax +2 tbsp of water
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
Garlic sauce
- 1 cup soy milk or other plant based milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves chopped, or 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or another thickener
- salt to taste
- lemon juice to taste
Instructions
Instructions for Lentil Cakes
- Cook dry lentils in simmering water until tender. Drain. You will need 2 cups cooked.
- Sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add a little water if it gets too dry. Turn heat down to low and cook until very tender and cooked through. Set aside.
- Blend the walnuts into a coarse flour. Pour that flour into a medium bowl.
- Add half of the lentils and the mushroom mixture, salt, spices, flax egg.
- Mix everything until it’s well combined and forms a thick dough using a hand blender. Stir in the remaining whole lentils.
- Using wet hands form into 12-15 little cakes.
- Sear in a skillet, in a little oil, over medium heat—taking care to let them brown and form a crust before flipping.
- Serve with garlic sauce.
Instructions for Garlic Sauce
- Pour all the ingredients into a heated pan, whisking constantly until thickened—about 3–5 minutes. Then remove from heat.
Elaine says
Just made these for dinner and both myself and hubby really liked them. Didn't make the garlic sauce but will next time. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, just trying to reduce my meat consumption, so I used an egg not substitute as I didn't have any flax available. And I found the mix a little too wet to form into patties and fry so I placed tablespoonfuls on to lined baking sheets and baked them for 30mins on #6 (gas) turning over after 15 mins. Really nice, thank you for the recipe.