Lebanese Lentil Burgers with Tahini Sauce (17g Protein)

A burger that skips the bun entirely — the patties go into crisp lettuce and cabbage leaves with tomato, cucumber and a sharp tahini sauce, which makes it one of the lightest ways to eat 17g of protein on this list. The ras el hanout does the heavy lifting on flavour; nothing here is fried.

Ingredients

• 200g dried brown lentils
• 200g potato, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ½ red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 for the sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout
• 1 tbsp lemon zest plus 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g gram (chickpea) flour
• 3 tbsp tahini
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 large lettuce or savoy cabbage leaves
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• ½ cucumber, sliced

Method

1. 1Simmer the lentils in a saucepan with 750ml water, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until tender, then drain.
2. 2Meanwhile, cook the potato, onion, red pepper, carrot and 4 minced garlic cloves in a large frying pan with 4 tbsp water over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the potato is just tender.
3. 3Add the drained lentils, parsley, ras el hanout, lemon zest and 1 tbsp of the lemon juice to the vegetable pan. Season with salt, and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is dry. Cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the gram flour.
4. 4Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Shape the lentil mixture into 8 small patties and bake for 40-45 minutes until browned and firm.
5. 5For the tahini sauce, blend the tahini with the remaining 4 tbsp lemon juice, the last garlic clove and 100ml water until smooth, then season with salt and black pepper.
6. 6Load each lettuce or cabbage leaf with tomato and cucumber, top with a patty, drizzle generously with the tahini sauce and scatter with extra parsley.

Tips for GLP-1 appetites

• No bun means this sits far lighter than a standard burger — a good pick for the week after a dose increase.
• The tahini sauce loosens or thickens with water; keep it pourable so a little coats everything without needing a lot.