Cauliflower Fritters |Cooking With Amanda

This recipe? It's the epitome of "I don't even know who I am anymore and I think I am having an early life crisis."

It's not a beef recipe. In fact, it's not even a chicken breast recipe.

That's right. It's VEGAN. Like, NO MEAT.

And I like it. And so did the hubs. And so did his body-builder-all-the-meat-and-protein friend at work.

I wasn't there, but apparently he STOLE the hubs' lunch.

WHATTHEWHAT is happening to my whole existence as I thought I once knew it? IT'S CRUMBLING TO ITTY BITTY PIECES.

Not that I am being dramatic or anything.

At least my food crisis tastes good right? Gotta find the silver lining.

It all happened one fate-full day when I was rummaging through my fridge, wondering what to eat. I saw a jar of hummus. But there was most definitely not enough of it left to constitute a full meal.

Not that I've ever just eaten hummus for a meal or anything….

Anyway.

BUT, I had cauliflower rice. And the creamy goodness of that smashed chickpea spread full of YUM would be the perfect accompaniment.

HOWEVER, I didn't even fathom just HOWDELICIOUSOHMYGOSH this combo would be. My taste buds jumped straight from my mouth to the floor.

But, there was one thing I didn't LUHVE. It was kind of a weird texture. It was one of things that you don't know if you should use a spoon, because it's not super thick, but also a little bit too thick to use a spoon so maybe a fork is required?

You know, first world problems.

Continuing the rummaging, I tried to find something that would give it the BODY and TEXTURE that I crave in just about every single thing I put into my mouth.

And, low and behold, in the verrrryyyy pack of my pantry was a sad, little unloved jar of chickpeas that looked at me with "pick me" eyes.

You know, if chickpeas had eyes. Right.

SO. In went the peas with the cauliflower. AND OUT came THICK, soft patties…. That needed crunch.

Have you ever had roasted chickpeas? The crunchiest thing to ever happen to YOUR FACE.

In they went. And then I popped them into a hot pan. You know, just to be on the extra crunchy-a-rific safe side.

You guys. The texture on these (6 ingredient!) little patties full of health and hidden veggie deliciousness? I.Can't.Get.Over.It.

After topping them off with some hummus, well, I hopped right on board the Meatless Monday train.

And, I'm not even mad about it.

Print Save

Cauliflower Fritters Recipe

Embed

Ingredients

2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for frying
1 cup onion, chopped, about 1/2 a small onion
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small pieces, about 1/2 a large head
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
hummus, of choice, for topping
diced green onion, for garnish

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Rinse and drain 1 can of the chickpeas and place them on a paper towel, drying them off well. Place the chickpeas into a large bowl, removing any of the loose skins that come off, and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread them onto a large pan, being careful not to over-crowd them, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake the chickpeas for 20 minutes, stir, and then bake an additional 5-10 minutes until very crispy.
Once the chickpeas are roasted, transfer them into a large food processor and process until broken down and crumbly. Don't turn them into flour, as you want to leave some texture. Place into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add in the chopped cauliflower and cook an additional 2 minutes, until the cauliflower is also golden.
Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan. Cook until the cauliflower is fork tender and the onions are golden brown and caramelized, stirring every so often. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
Transfer the cauliflower mixture into the food processor. Drain and rinse the remaining can of chickpeas and add it into the food processor, along with the salt and a good pinch of pepper. Blend until smooth, and the mixture starts to turn into a ball, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
Transfer the cauliflower mixture into a large bowl and add in 1/2 cup of the roasted chickpea crumbs (you don't use all of the crumbs, but it's easier to break them down when you have a larger amount.) Stir until well combined.
Pour just enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of a large pan and heat on medium heat. Cook the patties until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, flip and cook again. It's easiest to cook a few at a time, and work in multiple batches.
Top with hummus, green onion and DEVOUR

Notes

You can use whatever hummus you want, however, I think a flavored variety it best. I used roasted red pepper. Additionally, if you want the hummus to be more "saucey" you can thin it out with equal parts water and olive oil, until it reaches desired consistency.
You don't want too much oil here, or they will just get soggy. Just enough to cover the pan evenly will do the trick. I had great success pouring in some oil, and then rubbing it around with a paper towel to ensure the pan is evenly coated, but not excessively coated.
Resist the urge to flip them every minute to see if they are golden, as this prevents a nice crust from forming. Additionally, I found it easiest to gently flip with a fork, as opposed to a spatula. A spatula sometimes scrapes the crust off.