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Veggies burgers on ANOTHER level. These cauliflower hummus burgers are packed with nutritious, fiber-rich ingredients and make for the ultimate meatless handheld delight. Even the carnivores in your life will love them.
Confession: I am craving veggies today like no-oth-er. Juicy, I know. But here’s why.
Last night we went to a “Meet the Chef’s” event at a brewery in Tampa featuring 12 local restaurants. The chefs of each restaurant prepared a small plate featuring either a soup, appetizer or main course paired with a craft beer sample handpicked by the chefs and brewmasters. We tried everything from Florida gator ribs and black malt braised short ribs (personal fav!) to chilled peach soup and SWISS CHEESE flavored ice-cream (<– not a fan). It was a gluttonous, yet super fun event that left me with quite the food hangover this morning. Ergo, I’m welcoming green smoothies and veggies burgers into my life with open arms today.
These have been some of my favorite veggie burgers to date. Veggie burgers can be tricky as far as nailing down the proper texture and consistency to keep them intact. I’ve tried a lot of different tricks in the past, but this time my star ingredient was hummus! You can use homemade or store-bought in whatever flavor you like. I’m partial to garlic and roasted red pepper hummus, but use whatever floats your boat!
The other key ingredients are cauliflower crumbles and cooked quinoa. This duo packs quite the nutritional punch and lends stellar texture to the burger patty. If cauliflower crumbles are available at your local grocery store, that will save you some labor time. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s (TJ’s brand), but I’ve also seen bags by Green Giant that may be more accessible. 
For a gluten-free alternative to bread crumbs that also adds great texture, I like using ground almonds (almond meal). The amount you’ll need may slightly vary depending on how wet your mixture feels. I ended up needing more than I thought in order for the patties to hold their form. 
MOVING ON (drum roll, please)…
The GREEN GODDESS sauce. I literally want to put LAYERS of it on everything. It rightfully adopted its name from the dreamy, luxurious, silky smooth texture it embodies. Those healthy fats truly work wonders.
The best part is that you’ll likely end up with leftover sauce that you can then put on sandwiches, wraps and salads in the days to come. Or just dip your veggies in it! It’ll give hummus a run for its money.
These veggie burgers are truly one of a kind and 100% worth a try.
If you do make this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations!
Cauliflower Hummus Burgers with Green Goddess Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 buns
- 1 small head of cauliflower or 3 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
- 1 tsp Harissa spice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup hummus of choice
- 2 tbsp each freshly chopped parsley and basil
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- **Green Goddess Sauce**
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/2-2/3 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in a food processor. Pulse until florets are broken down into rice-sized pieces (you need ~3 cups of cauliflower rice). Transfer to a large skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for ~5 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining burger ingredients. Mix until well-combined (it's easiest to use your hands). If the mix feels too wet, add additional almond flour. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare green goddess sauce by combining avocado, basil, cashew milk, olive oil, salt and pepper in your food processor. Start with 1/2 cup cashew milk and gradually add more as needed to reach your desired consistency. Larger avocados will warrant a little extra. Once sauce is smooth and creamy, transfer to a bowl.
- Remove burger mix from fridge after 30 minutes. Using a 1/2 measuring cup, fill with burger contents to create a uniform mold. Flip the measuring cup over into the palm of your hand and gently flat out the top and mold the edges. Place on a piece of parchment paper and repeat with the remaining burger ingredients. It should form 5 uniform patties.
- Heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook until golden brown on each side, flipping very carefully to avoid breaking.
- Place on toasted bun and top with green goddess sauce and additional toppings as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
If you love veggie burgers as much as I do, be sure to check out my other favorite recipe:
Smoky Chickpea Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Apple Slaw
Your turn!
What’s your favorite base to use in veggie burgers? Beans? Quinoa?
What’s your go-to flavor of hummus?
This is one gorgeous burger. I would never have thought to use cauliflower!
Thank you, Kristi! It adds great texture! I’ve used it in “meatballs”, too!
Looks so beautiful and tasty, can’t wait to make these for Father’s Day!!!
Thank you!!