I’ll admit–I’m not a fan of winter in general; I hate the cold, I hate the snow and I hate the winter blues that always seem to roll around this time of year. On the plus side, though, when the temperatures drop, I find myself in the kitchen a lot more…usually huddled in front of the oven on those days when it’s cold and gloomy outside and the landlord still hasn’t turned on the heat for our building 😉
These spicy broccoli lentil cakes provide just the right amount of heat and spice for a cold winter day–or any day, really. They’re warm, flavorful and perfect when paired with rice or quinoa for an easy and nutritious lunch.
Plus, they make a great finger food if you’re entertaining guests. Throw a few of these yummy broccoli lentil cakes on a tray and serve up! Your guests (and their taste buds) will leave feeling totally impressed by your cooking prowess.
These tasty bites are also great for entertaining because they’re gluten-free and make a great source of protein for my fellow vegetarians. Lentils are jam-packed with protein and fiber, plus there are tons of other super nutritious ingredients in there as well.
Here are a few of the top nutritional highlights from this meal:
- Lentils: super high in protein and fiber, perfect for squashing cravings and keeping you full
- Broccoli: rich in many important vitamins and minerals, plus contains sulforaphane, a cancer-fighting compound
- Garlic: loaded with health-promoting properties and has been shown to boost heart health, ward off colds and even enhance brain health
- Red onion: contains allicin, the same active ingredient in garlic, which has been shown to help kill off cancer cells
- Nutritional yeast: high in protein and fiber, plus plenty of other nutrients often lacking in vegetarian diets, like vitamin B-12
- Chickpea flour: literally bursting with protein–it boasts 21 grams in every single cup!
Put all these tasty ingredients together and bam! A delicious meal that is equal parts delicious and super healthy.
Not a fan of burning your tastebuds? No problem! Just dial it back a bit–omit the jalapeño, leave out the sriracha sauce or play with the ratio of spices to fit your personal preference.
I like to make these pretty spicy and serve them with some cool and refreshing avocado cilantro dipping sauce. To me, the mix of flavors is just perfect.
Does your palate change between the seasons or am I just crazy? 😉 Do you have any foods that you love cooking in the winter? Leave me a comment and let me know!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
cakes
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- 1 cup lentils
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
- sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- juice of 2 lemons
Ingredients
Broccoli Lentil Cakes
Avocado Cilantro Sauce
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- Add lentils to a pot and cover in water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain excess water and remove from heat.
- Blend lentils in a food processor or blender for just a few seconds until they have a mashed consistency.
- Combine lentils with broccoli, garlic, red onion, jalapeno and parsley. Slowly begin adding eggs, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast and seasonings to mixture and stir until it forms a dough-like consistency.
- Use your hands to form small patties with the mixture. You can adjust the amount of chickpea flour and eggs as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Add vegetable oil to frying pan and begin cooking lentil cakes, flipping over when finished on each side. Top with sriracha sauce (optional) and enjoy with avocado cilantro sauce on the side.
- Add sour cream, cilantro, lemon juice and avocado to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Make sure to cut vegetables very finely or else the mixture may not stick together as well.
Adjust the spices and seasonings as desired based on the level of spiciness you prefer.
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