Do you love a good burger? How about a veggie burger?
If you are like me, you would have answered in the affirmative to both those questions. How I wish I could eat burger (the meat version) and fries most days of the summer – straight from the grill onto my plate and into my tummy. In those instances, I try hard to remind myself I am not a teenager who can burn off those calories in a jiffy. So, I don’t indulge them in all that often.
As a near distant substitute, I resort to veggie burgers every once in a while. It’s usually those frozen kinds. While at least one brand has come to be an OK substitute, I never get the satisfaction of biting into a real burger. At least not until I tried this homemade version for a spicy cauliflower burger.
This recipe is not my original. It was inspired by Pinch of Yum. While I tweaked my recipe a little, much of the meat (no pun intended) is derived from the original recipe.
Spicy Cauliflower-Quinoa Burger
Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
4 tablespoons oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed (or 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder)
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup ground almonds (almond meal)
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded Pepperjack or mild cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Burger buns of your choice
Toppings
Finely shredded purple cabbage, sprinkled with lime juice and a dash or salt
Thinly sliced red onions
Avocado slices
Chipotle mayo
Other toppings of your choice
Preparation
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2) Cook quinoa according to package instructions, but use only 1 cup of water or vegetable broth. Turn off heat, fluff the quinoa and let cool.
3) Layer the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with spices. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Let cool.
4) Using a food processor, pulse the roasted florets to break into small pieces that look like grated cauliflower. Take care to avoid grinding to paste.
5) In a large bowl, combine pulsed cauliflower, cooked quinoa, garlic, almond meal, eggs, salt, cornmeal and cheese. If you like your food really spicy, you can add additional cayenne or black pepper.
6) Form into patties. According to the original recipe, this should make about 10 burgers, but if you are like me, you will probably make fewer, thicker patties. It’s your choice. But, if you do make it thicker, add additional cooking time.
7) Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and cook a batch of burgers on one side until golden brown. This may take about 4 minutes or so. Flip carefully to maintain shape and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes.
8) While the original recipe asks to transfer the burgers to a paper lined plate, I kept mine on a wire rack placed on a cookie sheet and kept in the warm oven to maintain the crispy texture and keep the burgers warm.
9) Assemble the burgers per your taste and be amazed at how incredibly satisfying it is.
NOTE: These burgers freeze well. Reheat in the oven or over the stovetop.
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