Vegan cauliflower fritters with chickpea and quinoa – packed full of vitamins, nutrients and flavors. Also loaded with spinach, parsley and scallions these are perfect for a meatless meal. 
Sometimes I have super lazy cooking days. I don’t make much, and will nibble on random things all day. I’m not always charging around the kitchen creating up new kitchen masterpieces.
On those days I have my standard over easy eggs with avocado and smoked salmon in the morning, some egg drop soup for lunch and a blog repeat recipe for dinner.
As a snack I love my sunflower seeds, and every now and then will do really odd things like eat an entire can of baby corn. And yes I will nibble on it as if it was a regular sized ear of corn – Tom Hanks in Big style. You know what I’m talking about right?
Today was almost going to be one of those days but then I stumbled upon this recipe. I was instantly inspired.
I threw the computer aside and ran over to the kitchen, flipping my hair up and tying my apron on in a hurry.
The original recipe calls for quinoa cauliflower fritters with eggs and cheese. I was in the mode for a vegan makeover of this recipe.
Instead of eggs, I went with the veganized chia egg (which I already tested out once with a vegan gluten-fee banana bread recipe) where you mix chia seeds with water, let it sit for a few minutes and the mixture turns jelly-esque and it’s a great replacement for an egg.
Brilliant! This is really needed in order to bind all the ingredients together in the absence of an egg. When making fritters, latkes or veggie burgers without an egg or chia eggs, the ingredients might not really stick together super well, you need something to act as that glue.
Instead of cheese I added some chickpeas and spinach. Essentially what we end up with in these cauliflower fritters is a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients all packed into one adorable little fritter. We’ve got garlic, parsley, scallions, spinach, chickpeas, cauliflower, and quinoa.
This vegan cauliflower fritters with chickpeas and quinoa are incredibly healthy and good for you.
Now how can you resist making these as soon as possible?
I pan fried mine in a bit of coconut oil but I imagine these would be good baked too.
The vegan cauliflower fritters are lightly crispy on the outside and just bursting with freshness with every bite. A perfect meatless meal if you ask me.
Serve the vegan cauliflower fritters sandwiched between two slices of bread or on a simple salad of spinach leaves and red onion.
What’s your favorite cauliflower fritter recipe? Please share in the comments below!
Love cauliflower? Try this Cauliflower Couscous and check out this Cauliflower Recipes Round Up. Treat yourself to healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Date Balls after this meal!
How to make my vegan cauliflower fritters
Both vegen and gluten free these cauliflower fritters are packed full of vitamins, nutrients and flavors. Full of spinach, parsley and scallions these are perfect for a meatless meal.
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 6 scallions
- handful parsley
- 3 ounces spinach
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup quinoa flour plus a few more tablespoons more for forming fritters (can use a gluten-free breadcrumb mix instead)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
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In a bowl combine chia seeds and water, and set them aside for 5-10 minutes to turn to jelly.
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In a food processor pulse the cauliflower until it resembles rice or couscous. To the food processor add spinach and chickpeas.
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Pulse a few more times until spinach and chickpeas broken down and everything is mixed together and crumbled (without being completely smooth). Remove and place in a large bowl.
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To the food processor add parsley, scallions, spinach and garlic. Pulse until finely diced.
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Add parlsey mixture to the bowl with the cauliflower mix. Mix.
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To the bowl add salt, a chia seed mixture. Mix until smooth. Add quinoa, and quinoa flour and mix.
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Freeze mixture for 15-30 minutes.
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Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Form patties out of the mixture and lightly dredge in additional quinoa flour on both sides, flattening the patty down. Repeat for remaining patties.
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Pan fry until crispy on both sides. Repeat with rest of the patties, adding more coconut oil as needed.
Recipe inspired by Sprouted Kitchen
Serve over a simple salad or sandwiched between two slices of gluten-free bread
Kerri says
These look delicious! Why do they need to be frozen for 15 minutes? Does this help it hold together and not crumble? I often find that my vegan burgers fall apart in the pan. Just wondering if that’s what that step is about. Thanks!
Vicky says
I find freezing them helps to hold them together. You could refrigerate them instead, or simply add a bit more breadcrumbs/flour into the mix to solidify them a bit and cut down on the wait time.
Kerri says
Also, is the quinoa flour only for dredging or is there some added into the actual mixture?
Vicky says
The quinoa flour is added to the mixture (sorry about the confusion – I noticed that is not included in the instructions). I added 1/4 cup quinoa flour into the mixture and then used a few more tablespoons quinoa flour for dredging. If you have breadcrumbs on hand you could use those instead for both (I just didn’t). Hope that clears things up!! : ))
Miz Helen says
We are going to just love these Fritters. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Angi @ SchneiderPeeps says
These look fabulous! I cannot wait for our cauliflower to grow so I can try these. Thanks for sharing at Simple Lives Thursday; hope to see you again this week.
Jillian Hudson says
This is a great recipe! I’d love it if you would share it on my new corn-free link party. http://www.creatingsilverlinings.com/corn-free-everyday-jan-20-15/
Vicky says
Thanks! Will head over and check out your link party if it’s not too late!
Natalie says
Im in the kitchen, these are looking delicious…but one question: the list says COOKED quinoa and then in the directions it doesn’t say to add it. Is it simply quinoa flour that is needed?
Thank you!
Vicky says
Hi Natalie, So sorry about the confusion. The directions should say add the cooked quinoa and the quinoa flour. I will update those now! Hope you enjoyed the recipe if you already made them!
Kathleen. Magee says
Thankyou so much ,,,I’m going to make them for a vegan ,,,
Vicky says
Enjoy!
Diana says
Hi Vicky, They look delicious – this is a great recipe.
Chickpeas, cauliflower and quinoa – a good combination
I made patties baked in the oven … liked them, thanks a lot!
Vicky says
Thanks! Definitely a quick dinner meal ; ))