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These Red Lentil Cauliflower Burger patties are baked and vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and grain-free. Sometimes all you need in life is a good, loaded burger and this vegan burger recipe hits the spot! Topped with homemade onion rings, roasted mini peppers and Chipotle habanero mayo…yum! Jump to Recipe
This red lentil cauliflower burger is so uber delicious that you really have to make it to know. Those buns are multigrain. Or make these pillowy white dinner rolls.
The red lentil cauliflower patties are just that.. lentils and cauliflower with spices and a little chickpea flour.. And the No Fail trick to use Cauliflower in burger patties!
Serve these vegan burgers with a side salad and a dipping sauce and you have one delicious wholesome meal. If you like lentils and cauliflower, this is it!
Ingredients for Red Lentil Cauliflower Burgers:
- Dried whole red/Indian brown lentils (Sabut Masoor) or other lentils (brown/green)
- Water
- Salt
- Garlic powder or fresh garlic cloves
- Spice mix of choice like berbere or garam masala
- Cauliflower
- Onion flakes or finely chopped onion
- Cumin powder
- Piri piri or cayenne or chili powder or other chili
- Olive oil
- Chickpea flour or breadcrumbs
Ingredients for Vegan Burger Toppings
- Baby spinach/greens
- Roasted mini peppers
- Onion rings with chickpea flour
- Pickled jalapeno
- Fresh cilantro
- Vegan Chipotle habanero mayo/cream(recipe below)
- Avocado slices, tomato slices or lettuce or other greens
Substitutions for Red Lentil Cauliflower Burger Recipe
- If you don’t have time to cook the lentils, use 1.5 cups canned, cooked lentils, drained and rinsed.
- Change up the toppings with sweet or cooling offsets like cucumber, raw red onions, or plain mayo
- Use a different sauce like BBQ or BBQ mayo
- Use different spices in the patty like curry powder, ranch, chipotle flakes, lemon zest, cajun blend, ethiopian berbere.
You can also freeze and keep the patties. Shape the patties and don’t bake, layer in an airtight container, separated with pieces of parchment paper. Thaw and bake.
How to Make Lentil Burgers with Cauliflower:
- Soak the lentils for 30 minutes or more in warm, hot water.
- Wash, drain, add to a pot with all the ingredients (salt, garlic, spice, 1 3/4 cups water) and cook on low-medium, partially covered for half an hour or until easily squished. Stir a few times in between. Cook until all the water is absorbed. (drain the lentils if they are well cooked and water is not absorbed). Or use 1.5 cups of cooked lentils.
- Grate the cauliflower (in a food processor, blender, or by hand), spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at pre-heated 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until some of the cauliflower gets crisp and golden. (You can also dry roast the grated cauliflower on stove top in a large pan at medium heat for 5-6 minutes).
- Add cooked red lentils, roasted cauliflower, spices, salt to a bowl and mix well. Mash a bit. Taste and adjust salt and spice.
- Add chickpea flour, mix until the lentil cauliflower mixture easily comes together. Add more flour or breadcrumbs, if needed (depends on moisture content in the lentils, cauliflower, etc.).
- Shape into burger patties by hand or by pushing through a 3 inch cookie cutter.
- Bake on parchment lined sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Step by Step Photos:
Cook the lentils. These are whole red lentils or Indian brown lentils (Sabut Masoor).
Grate cauliflower. I make the cauliflower rice in my Blendtec these days. Just pulse small florets a few times (1.5 to 2 cups at a time) and voila!
Spread and bake until lightly crisp on the edges.
Mix with cooked lentils, onion flakes, salt, spices.
Add a tablespoon or so chickpea flour so the patties can come together.
Make 4-5 inch 3/4 inch thick patties, or any size you want.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Prep the vegan burger sandwich. Layer the mayo, spinach, onion rings.
Layer the burger patty, roasted peppers, pickled jaalpeno.
Add loads of spicy mayo.
Top with fresh cilantro and burger bun top. Enjoy!
More Vegan Burger Recipes from the Blog:
- Spicy Chickpea Lentil Burgers
- Lentil Walnut Burgers
- Lentil Quinoa Meatloaf Burger
- Kidney Bean Millet Beet Burger
- Easy Vegan Falafel Burger Recipe
- Peanut Carrot White Bean Burgers
- Grillable Veggie Burger – Black Bean Sunflower Seed Burger
Red Lentil Cauliflower Burger
This red lentil cauliflower burger with chipotle habanero mayo is fantastic. Topped with onion rings and roasted peppers. Vegan, gluten-free option.
Ingredients
Red Lentil Cauliflower Burger Patties
- 1/2 cup dried whole red/Indian brown lentils(sabut Masoor) or other lentils (brown/green), or use 1 1/2 cups canned, cooked lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder, or 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp spice mix of choice, like berbere or garam masala
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 head cauliflower grated, 1 1/2 - 2 cups
- 1 Tbsp onion flakes, or 3 Tbsp finely chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp piri piri, or cayenne or chili powder or other chili to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp chickpea flour, or breadcrumbs or other flour as needed
Toppings
- Baby spinach/greens, onion rings (recipe below), roasted mini peppers (recipe below), pickled jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro, chipotle habanero mayo (recipe below), avocado slices, tomato slices
Instructions
- Soak the lentils for half an hour or more in warm hot water.
- Wash, drain, add to a pot with all the ingredients (salt, garlic, spice, 1 3/4 cups water) and cook on low-medium, partially covered for half an hour or until easily squished. Stir a few times in between. Cook until all the water is absorbed. (drain the lentils if they are well cooked and water is not absorbed). Or use 1.5 cups of cooked lentils.
- Grate the cauliflower (in a food processor, blender or by hand), spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at pre-heated 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until some of the cauliflower gets crisp and golden. (You can also dry roast the grated cauliflower on stove top in a large pan at medium heat for 5-6 minutes).
- Add cooked red lentils, roasted cauliflower, spices, salt to a bowl and mix well. Mash a bit. Taste and adjust salt and spice. (You can use this mixture as is to load a burger or a taco too.)
- Add chickpea flour, mix until the lentil cauliflower mixture easily comes together. Add more flour or breadcrumbs if needed (depends on moisture content in the lentils, cauliflower, etc). Shape into burger patties by hand or by pushing through a 3 inch cookie cutter.
- Drizzle with olive oil, if using. Bake on parchment lined sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- Assemble the Burger: Top the bun with spinach/greens, some mayo, onion rings, warm lentil patties, roasted peppers, pickled jalapenos, more chipotle habanero mayo, fresh cilantro and bun.Or use your own toppings like cucumbers, raw red onion slices, pepper slices and such for a quicker fix up.
Onion Rings
- Mix 3 Tablespoons chickpea flour, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon oil, salt, garlic powder into a paste. Add a teaspoon rice flour for crunchyness. (optional)Dip red onion slice in the the batter and place on parchment lined sheet.Bake for 15 or so minutes at 400 degrees F. You can bake them when baking the cauliflower or the patties.
Roasted Mini Peppers
- Chop up the mini peppers or red pepper, and bake with the onion rings or patties for 15-20 minutes. You can toss them in oil if you want. I did not use any.
Chipotle Habanero Mayo
- Mix 1 Tablespoon Chipotle habanero (I used Melinda's Chipotle Habanero) sauce or chipotle sauce or hot sauce with 4 Tablespoons vegenaise or homemade mayo or cashew cream or coconut cream.
Notes
Variations: Add spice blends like curry powder, ranch, chipotle flakes, lemon zest, cajun blend, ethiopian berbere.
Nutrition based on 1 lentil cauliflower burger patty only.
Nutrition
Calories: 82kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 337mg, Potassium: 321mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated on Oct 15, 2019 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Whoa, that is the most beautiful burger I’ve ever seen! You’ve outdone yourself!
I think I love you…. This looks amazing! Are those red lentils in the picture, though? Mine don’t look like that – they are very small and orange.
I call those pink lentils. the small pink/orange ones are the split and skinned version of the whole lentil I used here. I used whole red lentil for this burger(updated it in the description). The whole lentils, also called Indian brown lentils are very similar to easily available brown lentils(which could be spanish brown, or germen brown or other). Cooking time is almost the same for the different types of brown lentils and they can be swapped in a recipe.
you can use the small pink/orange lentils in this too. they will need half the amount of water and 15 minutes to cook and will get mushier. Add more chickpea flour if needed.
Have I told you lately that I love you? 😉 Geezus, Richa! Those onion rings! And I know from experience that cauliflower and red lentils are winning combo- I can just imagine how amazing this tastes! Wow!
Ha! I love you back! for those waffles!
Oh girl. This has every level of fabulousness. I can see why the burgers get so much traffic on your site, because they’re pretty much incredible! Maybe I gotta figure out a raw burger this month….So in love! xx
🙂 i think you can dehydrate the cauliflower:)
This burger has layers of deliciousness going on!
it sure has Kiran!
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I love this recipe and your blog! So much it is very interesting and creative. I love the combination of Indian ingredients and techniques in your recipes.
Be well and keep up the good work! 🙂
Thank you!:)
I have a total weakness for burgers and this looks like an AMAZING burger. Delicious!
Thanks Kiersten! it is it is!
Yep, another plus one on the ‘that whole cauliflower thing really is a good idea’ – what a gorgeous looking burger!
well, I’m not actually hungry at the moment, but if you put one of these in front of me, I’d eat it very quickly:)I love roasted cauliflower, such nuttiness, but I’ve never grated it before to add to burgers, what a great idea! and the batter for the onion rings? sounds great – and the fact that it’s all baked and not deep or shallow fried, brilliant. Love it:)
yup i like my oven. what can i say.. it doesnt require you to stand in the kitchen watching the frying process:)