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Kristie and I tried a new veggie burger recipe today, adapted from the Messy Cook blog.
As we’re politetarians (don’t cook with meat, but will eat meat if others cook for us), we have tried quite a few veggie burger recipes, some good, some not so much.  These veggie burgers were the first ones that we’ve seen made with pearl barley before.  We were intrigued, so we thought we would give them a try.
In addition to being quite different in terms of ingredients, we found that they were also a little more time intensive than some of the others we’ve made as you have to both pan fry for five minutes and then bake.  But in the end, the effort was worth it as they were quite yummy!  Using the pearl barley also gave them a meaty texture that we haven’t experienced in our past veggie burgers.  They had a taste and texture of turkey burgers.
The next time we try them, we’re going to throw in a bit of soy sauce and maybe a bit of sesame oil.
Here’s the recipe:

Veggie Burgers

Serves 6
Adapted from Food Network

BurgerS:

1 cup green lentils, picked through and rinsed
1/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites, lightly beaten (we used three whole eggs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 burger buns or pocket pitas

Toppings:

1/2 cup goat cheese, (2 to 3 ounces) (I prefer herbed goat cheese if you can find it)
1/4 cup milk
Lettuce, sliced cucumber, radish

METHOD:

Put the lentils and barley in a saucepan cover with cold water by about 3 inches. Season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, until the lentils and barley are tender, about 20 minutes. Add extra liquid during cooking if necessary.  Drain excess liquid and put the beans and grain into a large bowl. Cool.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute more. Cool slightly and then add to the lentils and barley.
Stir the cilantro, bread crumbs, and eggs into the lentil mixture, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Puree 1 cup of the burger mix in a food processor until smooth. Return puree back to the bowl and mix well. Form mixture into 6 burgers (about 1/2 cup each). Place on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour.  (MessyCook note: I have always skipped the refrigeration step.  Refrigerate if you have the time, since it will help the burgers stay together.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the burgers in two batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes in all. Transfer the browned burgers to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining oil and burgers. Transfer burgers to the oven, and cook until firm, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly toast buns or pitas. Mix the goat cheese and milk in a small bowl until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Put the burgers on the buns, and top with lettuce, cucumber, and/or radish, if desired. Serve.