Cauliflower White Bean Burgers

 

Do you know someone who refuses to eat their crucifers? Here’s a burger recipe

that will please even the pickiest of palates. Cauliflower, beans, rice, and oats come together to make a veggie burger that is satisfying, nutritious, and unforgettable — in the best way! Double the batch and freeze half for later so you can hit your cauliflower quota throughout the month.

Cauliflower White Bean Burgers

Ingredients

 2 cups cauliflower (broken into small florets (or 2½–3 cups if roasting, see Chef’s Notes)

 2 cups white beans (homemade or BPA-free canned, rinsed, drained/patted dry to remove excess moisture)

 1 small garlic clove (see note)

 1 tsp dried basil

 1 tsp dried oregano

 1 tbsp tahini

 2 tbsp green onions (sliced, white portion)

 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

 2 tsp organic light miso (see Chef’s Notes)

 1 ¼ tsp salt (optional)

 ground black pepper (optional, to taste)

 1 ½ cups organic brown rice (pre-cooked and cooled — or quinoa, see Chef’s Notes)

 1 ½ cups organic rolled oats (+½ cup as desired, see Chef’s Notes)

Directions

1

First, steam the cauliflower until just tender, and then cool. You can use a steamer basket, or simply place florets in about ½–1 inch of water in a pot, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow that to steam the cauliflower. It should take just about 4–5 minutes. (Alternatively, you can roast the cauliflower, see note).

2

Drain well and let cool while preparing other ingredients.

3

Add all ingredients except oats to a food processor. Puree until well combined, then pulse in the oats.

4

Transfer mixture to the fridge and let chill for about an hour. If the mixture is still loose, stir in the extra ¼–⅓ cup oats).

5

Take scoops of the mixture and shape into patties.

6

To cook, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat (you can wipe the surface with a little oil to help keep them from sticking, but if you have a very good nonstick pan you won’t need it). Cook patties, about 5–7 minutes on first side, and then another 5–7 minutes on second side until golden brown. These patties are fairly soft, but hold their shape well if not flipped too much.

7

Serve as patties with a sauce and side dishes, or more like a burger with fixings of choice. Makes about 8–9 patties.

Chef's Notes

Roasting Cauliflower
An alternative to steaming the cauliflower is to roast it. With roasting, the flavor intensifies, so the patties will taste a little more like cauliflower, but the roasting will also add some nutty flavor. Roasting will also reduce the volume of the cauliflower quite a bit, so you can use 2½–3 cups of florets. To roast, place the florets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place in an oven set at 400. Roast for 35–45 minutes until golden, tender, and reduced in size.

Garlic
You can use a larger clove, but the taste will be stronger because it won’t be cooked.

Tahini
Try to get the thicker part at bottom of the jar rather than the looser oily part toward the top. Drier tahini will help the burgers hold together.

Miso
We like chickpea miso but you can use another light miso if you prefer.

Rice/Quinoa/Oats
If using quinoa, you will likely need extra oats to firm the patties. For rice patties, 1½ cups are enough, and you may be okay with even 1 cup (esp if you want to serve these as softer patties rather than burgers). For quinoa, I typically need 1½ cups oats plus another few tablespoons to firm the patties.

Serving Suggestion
Try pairing with a cranberry sauce, either on buns or to serve with the burgers on their own along with salad and side veggies.

Recipe by Dreena Burton adapted for WHOLE Life Club (WLC)

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/cauliflower-white-bean-burgers/