You read the title right: Cauliflower Hummus Burgers with Mint Tzatziki. I finally made a veggie burger recipe for the blog.
But they're not burger-y burgers. They're hummus burgers. I wanted something with the flavors of hummus, in burger form. And because I like a little texture in my burgers, I didn't want to use actual hummus. So instead, I smashed some chickpeas and cauliflower together with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.
The first time I made this, I did it without the cauliflower and it just didn't work out. The burgers needed a little more moisture, so I thought I'd experiment by adding steamed cauliflower the next time around. The cauliflower doesn't take away from the hummus flavor, but it makes the burgers less crumbly and adds some veggie goodness to the patties.
I should mention, these burgers aren't really made for grilling. Most veggie burgers are either cooked in a skillet, on a grill (indoor or outdoor), or baked in the oven. I pretty much hate doing them in the skillet and avoid it at all costs—they seem to end up greasy and fall apart on me. Grilling works for some burgers, but not others (again, with the crumbling). Baking seems to work the best—you can do it with a limited amount of added oil and with a solid surface, you don't run the risk of burgers crumbling into the grates of a grill.
Why Tzatziki?
Chobani sent me some samples of their Greek yogurt (thanks, Chobani!), so I figured the appropriate topping for hummus burgers was tzatziki. Traditionally, dill is used in tzatziki sauce, but since my dill is pretty pathetic right now, I used mint instead. I'm not big on yogurt unless it's in something and I feel the same way about tzatziki—it's great on these burgers, but a little too much for me on its own. (But I guess you're not supposed to eat tzatziki on its own, right?)
Ingredients
Mint Tzatziki
- ½ cup 0% Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup cucumber diced and peeled
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh mint leaves minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Cauliflower Hummus Burgers
Instructions
Mint Tzatziki
- Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and olive oil in the smallest bowl of your food processor. Process until completely smooth. Stir in mint leaves and lemon zest.
Cauliflower Hummus Burgers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with olive oil mister or cooking spray.
- Use a potato masher or fork to smash together cauliflower and chickpeas in a medium bowl. Don't mash them until they're mush—you want the burger to have a little bit of texture. Stir in the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the beaten egg.
- This mixture is a little bit wet, so you won't be able to form patties with your hands. Instead, divide it into 6 mounds on the baking sheet, then use your hands to pat the rounds into burgers.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then use a spatula to carefully flip burgers (if they fall apart, press them back together) and bake for 5 minutes more, until lightly browned. Serve on rolls or in pitas and top with spinach leaves, tomato and onion slices, and mint tzatziki.
Martina says
Wow, the sound so unusual and look so delicious! Great idea 🙂
Martina
http://snapshotsandwhatnots.typepad.com/
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir says
I love hummus sandwiches, so I'm sure this would be great. I'm curious to experiment with more cauliflower recipes. Happy Memorial Day!
Mark says
Awesome post! I am always on the hunt for new veggie burger recipes! I'm going to try these tonight.
[email protected] says
Another use for the crazy amount of peppermint we have growing outside! I like that this makes 6 so we have enough for lunch/dinner the next day 🙂
Kiersten says
Send some peppermint to me! 🙂 I can always get mine to grow a little bit, and then it just peters out...
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This is my kind of burger - I love the way you incorporated the flavors of hummus!
Dixya says
I made cauliflower hummus before and turning them into patties would be delicious. That sauce sounds wonderful too.
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
I like your fake burgers, hahaha. I like burgers in general and I usually go to one place to get them. This year I've started to make my own and I will use each recipe with name "burger" in it. When it's healthy it's even more interesting.
christina says
This. Yes. I never cook with cauliflower but I'm so intrigued by this recipe. Plus, it includes chickpeas, my faaaavorite little bean!
Kiersten says
Chickpeas are definitely my favorite bean too! 🙂
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
These burgers sound SO amazing!! I love finding new and creative ways to use cauliflower, since I don't tend to like it on its own.
Kiersten says
I LOVE cauliflower, but you can hardly taste it in these burgers. 🙂
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
I love veggie burgers and can't wait to try these. Great flavors! Veggie burgers are a staple on our menu!
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking says
These burgers look so delicious. I think I might just have to make these real soon!
dishing up the dirt says
This is a brilliant recipe!!! Definitely putting this on my list!
[email protected]'s Recipes says
We love tzatziki! The burger sounds and looks marvelous!
Grace @ Perpetual Nomming says
My oh my...this is my second time commenting. Now that I'm on summer break, I'll have the time to make more food! These are next on my list 🙂
Kiersten says
I hope you like them if you make them! 😀
Grace @ Perpetual Nomming says
Hey Kiersten! I made them a few days ago, and they were absolutely delicious! My best friend who thinks all healthy food is gross even said they were realllly good. Props!!
Kiersten says
Yay, I'm so glad they were a hit! 😀
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
I don't object to real meat burgers, but I certainly don't object to these either!
Connie says
These look really great. I'm always on the lookout for new veggie burger recipes.
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective says
Wow! These look amazingly good! 🙂
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
Oh my gosh--these are like all my favorite things all wrapped up into one fab veggie burger! I love adding fresh herbs to tzatziki. The sauce looks so refreshing, especially with the cucumber!
Chobani says
Kiersten, this burger looks AMAZING. Love the cauliflower/chickpea combo...and of course, the sauce looks extra tasty. Hope you had a good MDW!
Amy, @Chobani
Kiersten says
Thanks for the Chobani samples, Amy! 😀
Caitlin says
hummus burgers?! oh yes. this is something i can totally get behind.
Alissa N says
What a great idea to have used cauliflower and hummus ingredients!! I especially love that there aren't any grains in the veggie burger. They sound amazing!!
Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
I love chickpea burgers but I've never thought of incorporating hummus flavours into them, and with cauliflower, they sound even better! Love the swirl and flag on the bun too! 🙂
Kiersten says
I have been waiting so long for the opportunity to use those flag toothpicks. 😉
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty says
Ha, also inspired by a wonderful batch of samples from Chobani, I am posting a recipe with Tzatziki in a bit myself! And not only does it have fresh mint, I came *thisclose* to adding lemon zest on a whim. Guess it was a good instinct!
Hummus flavors in veggie burger form = genius, my friend. Cauliflower = extra genius. And I'm gaga over the flag too. 🙂
Kiersten says
That is so funny! The first time I made these, I used lemon juice, but since I was making such a small batch of sauce, the juice was way overpowering. And it seemed silly to put 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice into it, so I figured I'd try zest instead. That worked out much better. 🙂
Sandy says
Hummus/cauliflower sounds intriguing. Tzatziki seals the deal though. I really COULD just eat tzatziki alone.
Genevieve says
I just made veggie burgers the other weekend and topped them with lettuce, tomato and tzatziki - probably my favourite topping combination! I love all the ingredients in the cauliflower patties, and I think the addition of mint instead of a different herb in your sauce would go perfectly with them. Sounds similar to a a falafel sandwich but with a few twists!
Kiersten says
This was the first time we tried tzatziki on veggie burgers and I think we'll be doing it more often! 🙂