Gluten-Free Vegan Cauliflower Patties With Just 5 Ingredients

This week, we had a long discussion in the blog's Facebook group, "Vegans Building Muscle" (my Israeli vegan fitness community), about a question that comes up a lot: "Does freezing preserve the nutrients in vegetables, or destroy them?"

One very nice guy argued pretty passionately that freezing completely destroys vegetables' nutritional value, and that fresh vegetables are always the better choice.

For anyone who missed the discussion, here's my take: he was partly right.

Right about what?

Eating vegetables—and fruit—as fresh as possible is a great goal.

What does “as fresh as possible” actually mean?

If you have a fruit tree or a vegetable garden and can eat what you grow right after picking it, that's about as fresh as it gets.

It's a great way to get plenty of vitamins and minerals.

But most of us don't have a vegetable patch or a fruit tree waiting outside. We buy our produce at supermarkets, markets, or directly from growers instead.

Some vitamins begin to break down after produce is picked. That's one reason eating it soon after harvest can be helpful.

Here's where things get a little complicated: we don't necessarily know whether the fruit sitting at the market—or arriving in our grocery delivery—spent several days in cold storage before it reached us.

Good storage can keep fruits and vegetables looking beautiful and firm, and tasting great, even as some of their vitamin content declines. You can't tell just by looking.

So what about freezing?

Back to the guy who said freezing destroys nutrients: you can relax. Freezing helps preserve nutrients by slowing their breakdown, and vegetables destined for the freezer are generally frozen soon after harvest.

That means frozen vegetables can retain relatively high levels of vitamins.

• My everyday advice is to mix it up: include fresh fruits and vegetables, and don't hesitate to use frozen vegetables, too.

And the Cauliflower Patties?

Okay, enough of my nutrition soapbox. Let's get to the vegan cauliflower patties I developed in partnership with Sunfrost (an Israeli frozen-food brand).

They've introduced bags of frozen riced cauliflower, a handy way to add fiber to cooked dishes and patties. Used in place of some starchier ingredients, it can also cut down on carbs and calories—and, of course, save you some kitchen prep.

I used it to make oven-baked vegan cauliflower patties with just 5 simple ingredients, no gluten required. They're light, tender inside, and crisp outside. The flavor? Oh, wow. And the prep took me just a few minutes.

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How to Serve Them

Pair 3–4 patties with a big salad for an easy lunch or dinner.

I also think they're perfect for company. Set out a plate with a glass of wine or a cold beer, and you're in business.

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Nutrition:

Per 40 g (1.4 oz) patty

80 calories

3 g protein

9 g carbohydrates

4 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)

2 g fiber

Want another cauliflower recipe? How about a chilled, tzatziki-style soup?

Vegan Cauliflower Patties

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Yield 10 patties

Ingredients

• 160 g (5.6 oz) Sunfrost frozen riced cauliflower 2 cups
• 150 g (5.3 oz) cooked chickpeas 1 cup. See cooking instructions below.
• 80 g (2.8 oz) chickpea flour 1 cup. Lentil flour works, too.
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour for coating the patties
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Place the frozen riced cauliflower in a strainer and rinse under running water to thaw.
2. Squeeze thoroughly and drain off any remaining liquid.
3. Add the riced cauliflower, cooked chickpeas, chickpea flour for the mixture, garlic clove, and 2 of the 3 tablespoons olive oil to a blender.
   
4. Blend thoroughly until the mixture is uniform and sticky.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), using the top broiler element.
6. Line a baking sheet with a broiler-safe liner, such as foil, and brush with olive oil.
7. Put the 1/2 cup chickpea flour reserved for coating in a deep bowl.
8. With wet hands, shape the mixture into patties. Gently roll each one in the chickpea flour until coated on all sides, then place on the baking sheet.
9. Repeat until you've used all the mixture and have 10 patties on the baking sheet.
10. Don't worry if the mixture feels wet and the patties seem fragile. They'll firm up in the oven.
11. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tops.
    
12. Place the baking sheet on an upper oven rack, close to the broiler element while maintaining your oven's recommended clearance.
13. Cook for about 8–12 minutes, until the patties are browned.
14. Dig in while they're hot!