These vegetarian Broccoli Quinoa Cakes can be made in 30 minutes flat & are a delicious healthy meal that your whole family will love! Video. See 20+ Fresh Yummy Broccoli Recipes or our 20 Best Quinoa Recipes!
Do not try to save the world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then, will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue.
Martha Postlewaite
Here’s an easy healthy recipe for Broccoli Cakes that are made with simple ingredients you probably have on hand. It’s a quick and healthy nutritious meal that really satisfies! Filling yet light, I love these best served with a generous side of salad or simple sauteed greens.
If you would like to add a flavorful sauce, the possibilities are endless here and I’ll list a variety of options in the recipe notes. Here I’ve served them with this Vegan Cilantro Crema that I had from leftover tacos.
Also, I intentionally left the seasonings pretty basic here, to make them easy and accessible—and I know you will find ways to jazz these up to your liking!
Why You’ll Love This
- Easy, 30-minute recipe. Made in 30 minutes flat for quick lunches or dinners.
- Healthy and vegetarian. Quinoa is an energizing superfood and broccoli is full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants!
- So versatile! Jazz these up with your favorite spices, and serve with greens, as a burger, in a wrap, or on top of a bowl.
- Family friendly! A freezer-friendly meal with veggies that kids will love.
Ingredients
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets are preferred, however you could use frozen broccoli if it’s all you have.
- Quinoa: 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa or 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.
- Scallion and fresh herbs: Basil, dill, Italian parsley, or cilantro. Use what you have!
- Egg: Essential for binding the cakes together.
- Garlic: Use a garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic.
- Almond flour: Or sub breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed).
- Grated cheese: Cheddar cheese, jack, mozzarella, or vegan cheese (you could add parmesan cheese in addition to any of these).
- Spices: This recipe just calls for salt and pepper, but feel free to jazz the cakes up however you like with spices like onion or garlic powder or chili flakes.
- Oil: For searing. Use olive oil or whatever you prefer.
How to Make Broccoli Quinoa Cakes
Step 1: Cook quinoa. Bring rinsed quinoa and 1 cup water to boil in a small pot. Cover and lower heat to simmer 10-12 minutes until tender and water is gone. Turn off heat and cool 5 minutes, covered.
Step 2: Steam broccoli. While quinoa cooks, steam broccoli until fork tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain, cool, and pat dry.
Step 3: Combine and pulse. Place broccoli, scallions, herbs, cooked quinoa, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, and cheese into a food processor and pulse repeatedly until finely ground. Pulse in the almond flour.
Step 4: Form patties. The mixture should slightly sticky and easily form a patty. If it seems too wet, add a tablespoon almond flour at a time until manageable. With damp hands, form 4 large patties, pressing them together.
Tip: You shouldn’t need to coat these in flour or breadcrumbs, but if they feel very wet then feel free too. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed.
Step 5: Sear. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Carefully place broccoli fritters in the skillet, lowering heat to medium-low or low. Resist the temptation to fiddle with them! As they form a golden crust, they will naturally release from the pan. Flip after about 5 minutes.
Pan-sear the other side until slightly puffed in the center (indicating the egg is cooked through), lowering heat more if need be.
Tip: You can also finish cooking these through in 350F oven after pan-searing if they are getting too dark on the stovetop.
Step 6: Serve. Serve with a slaw, side salad, or sauteed greens. Top with a flavorful sauce if you like!
How to Serve Broccoli Quinoa Cakes
Serve with a side dish of greens or a salad with sauce drizzled on top, or serve for breakfast with Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Simple Sautéed Greens
- Lemony Kale Slaw
- Mediterranean Swiss Chard Salad
- Vegan Cilantro Crema
- Chipotle Mayo
- Tzatziki
- Authentic Zhoug Sauce Recipe with Yogurt
- Avocado Cilantro Sauce
Storage & Reheating
These Broccoli Quinoa Cakes are perfect for making ahead of time to refrigerate or freeze for later when you need a quick meal!
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 375F for about 6-8 minutes until warm. You can also place them in the toaster oven.
FAQs
When steaming the broccoli, be careful not to overcook and make sure to pat dry thoroughly. This ensures that the cakes stick together! The quinoa should be dry and not watery as well.
You can substitute 1 1/2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice for the quinoa in this recipe.
Health Benefits of Broccoli Quinoa Cakes
Creating delicious vegetarian dishes like Broccoli Quinoa Cakes is not just about pleasing the palate, but it’s also about nourishing the body with essential nutrients. Broccoli and quinoa, the main ingredients of these cakes, bring a powerhouse of benefits to your table.
- Broccoli: Packed with vitamin C and K, contains good amount of folate, potassium, and iron, and is high in fiber to aid digestion and maintain low blood sugar. Antioxidants, like sulforaphane, can help reduce oxidative stress and lower the risk of chronic disease.
- Quinoa: Contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein that builds and repairs tissues. Rich in fiber for digestive health, with a low glycemic index, having less impact on blood sugar levels. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and folate.
When brought together in a tasty cake form, broccoli and quinoa offer a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates, protein, and essential nutrients, keeping you satiated and energized! Pair with even more vegetables with a side salad!
Let us know what you think of these Broccoli Cakes. I’ve made several batches this week and all have quickly disappeared. Always a good sign. 😉
Have a lovely weekend.
More recipes you may like!
Broccoli Quinoa Cakes! |30-sec video
Broccoli Cakes
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 patties
- Category: main, vegetarain
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These vegetarian Broccoli Quinoa Cakes can be made in 30 minutes & are a delicious healthy meal that your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (or sub 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa)
- 4–5 cups fresh broccoli florets (8 ounces)
- 1 scallion, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped herbs- basil, dill, Italian parsley, or cilantro (use what you have)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
- 1/4 cup almond flour (or use bread crumbs), more as needed
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, mozzarella or vegan cheese)
- 2–3 tablespoons oil for searing.
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa: Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Drain. Bring quinoa and 1 cup water to boil in a very small pot, cover, lower heat to low and simmer 10-12 minutes until tender and all the water is gone. Turn off heat, let stand 5 minutes covered.
- Steam broccoli: While cooking the quinoa, steam the broccoli until tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain well, let cool, and pat dry. (It is imperative that broccoli is not overcooked and is patted dry in order for cakes to stick together.)
- Combine and Pulse: Place broccoli, scallions, herbs, cooked quinoa, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, and cheese into a food processor and pulse repeatedly until finely ground. Pulse in the almond flour, mixing in well. The mixture should easily mound on a spoon and just be slightly sticky, easily forming a patty. If the mixture seems very wet, continue adding almond flour a tablespoon at a time until manageable. With damp hands, Form 4 large patties, pressing them together. You shouldn’t need to coat these in flour or breadcrumbs- but if they feel very wet, feel free to.
- Sear: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Carefully place patties in the skillet, lowering heat to medium-low or low — resisting the temptation to move or fiddle with them. As they form the deep golden crust, they will naturally release themselves from the pan, and not stick- making flipping so much easier. (I like to use a thin metal spatula here. Rubber spatulas have thicker edges, much harder to get under delicate things.) Flip when golden and releasing, about 5 minutes. Pan-sear the other side until slightly puffed in the center (indicating the egg is cooked through) lowering heat more if need be. You can also finish cooking these through in 350F oven after pan-searing if they are getting too dark on the stovetop.
- SERVE: At this point, you could refrigerate if making ahead, and reheat down the road. Or keep in a warm oven until serving. Serve with a slaw, side salad or sauteed greens. Top with a flavorful sauce if you like (see options in notes).
Notes
Feel free to sub 1 1/2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice for the quinoa.
Making sure the steamed broccoli is as dry as possible (pat it dry) will allow you to use less flour or bread crumbs. The first time I made this, I did not pat dry the broccoli, and it needed 1/2 cup almond flour. The second time, I patted the broccoli dry, and only needed 1/4 cup flour, if that.
Make sure the quinoa is dry and not watery.
Pick a sauce to serve these!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Broccoli Cake
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 743.5 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.5 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 13.2 g
- Cholesterol: 43.5 mg
The recipe looks delicious but I’m disappointed. I googled images of beautiful vegan dishes. I was going to post this on facebook but then I realized it had an egg. I’m vegan and honestly can’t understand why such a delicious recipe needs cruelty as an ingredient. Why? If not for the egg I would have given 5 stars. So I won’t post it on facebook, unless I make it myself with a vegan egg substitute.
Im sorry, I tried using a vegan binder and just couldn’t get it to work. You might want to try the Crispy Vegan Quinoa Cakes
Comments like yours are why people struggle with us plant-based folk.
I made this and it came out quite well. I used the mixed quinoa because it was in the house and doubled the amounts so I could freeze a batch too. Will actually just eat again in a few days. My husband really liked it too which was great. I would add some herbs to give them a bit more flavor although the sauces add the zing you need anyway. I used some rosemary I had around and made the tadziki sauce. Thanks Sylvia! I’m now a fan!
Really good. Will make this again.
Thanks Pam! Glad you enjoyed!
My family just started incorporating plant-based meals. I made this tonight and it was a hit with my husband and 4/5 of the kids😂. I used used my ninja blender (in 2 batches) with no problems and fried them in my electric skillet because I needed to double the recipe. We took a shortcut and used a sauce of chalula and ranch. It was delicious!
Sounds perfect! Glad the 4 of you liked it. 😂
My food processor is not available, can I use my Vitamix blender?
Hi Cina, I have not tried this in a vita mix, so unsure how it would turn out? If you do try, make sure to pulse so it is not too smooth. I’m afraid it might be too dry for a vitamix?
Can you freeze these for future meal prep?
I don’t see why not? Give it a go- and let me know!
These were very good and a nice change for us. I recommend patting the broccoli dry for best results.
II don’t have any quinoa could I use couscous instead
I haven’t tried this with couscous and worry about it sticking together? Quinoa sticks together well here.
Hi, I going to try out this recipe today to I have to use cheese in it.
I have not tried this without the cheese- not sure how well it would stick together?
I made this for lunch today and it was just delicious! My dining companion is lactose intolerant, and so I mixed it all together without cheese, removed half from the food processor, and then added cheese to the remaining half. It actually cooks up fine without the cheese, although I’d recommend smaller patties to keep them a bit easier to flip.
Great to know- thanks Donna!
I made these last night 😍 they were really good! Before I fried them in olive oil, I floured and bread crumbed the outside. I will definitely make this again!
I followed this recipe exactly and the cakes would not crisp up or form into anything solid, no matter what I did. Just mush with slightly toasted edges.
Shoot! I’m sorry about that, how frustrating! Is anyone else having that problem? Did you happen to alter the recipe in any way?
Hi Sylvia,
I was just looking at your recipes and they all look amazing, and taste such I do believe. I wanted to make these broccoli quinoa snacks but I don’t understand whether the broccoli should be fresh or frozen ( as it says packed on the recipe ).
Thanks 🙂
I use fresh. I bet frozen, thawed would work too. 🙂
Thank you! I will make them 🙂
Hi! I’d like to make these, but I’m confused about the broccoli amount. 4-5 cups does not seem like the same as 8oz. What am I missing? Thanks!
Hummmm… I think it is right? I broke the broccoli into tiny little florets first, pressed down ( slightly) in a 4 cup measuring container, then weighed, = 8-9 ounces.
5 stars if you parboil sweet potatoes first, then brush patties on both sides with minimal olive oil and bake instead of fry. Yum yum! Might steam and mash a yellow potato to use as binder with less flour.
Made these last night and my teen son and I went crazy over them! So easy and healthy and filling. I used half goat Gouda and half Parmesan, and whipped up a little cilantro chili mayo and served them over a bed of fresh greens. Thank you for the new recipe to add to my growing vegetarian repertoire!
Thanks Angie!
Guessing you could substituted cauliflower for broccoli, as I’m serving brocolli in another dish?
Give it a try?
Turned out perfectly. Save the leftovers for lunch and they held up well and reheated nicely in our toaster oven. Do you think these would freeze well?
Made these last night and they were very good and quick and easy. The only thing I would do differently next time is make them much smaller so that they crisp up more.
This recipe is really delicious. I served it with the Vegan cilantro crema.
I must say that I don’t write a comment every time I cook one of your recipes but we always enjoy our meal. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time to write. Especially helpful to me with newly posted recipes- lets me know if the recipe is working, typos etc., or if there are issues. So thanks!!! I appreciate you!!!
I made this today and enjoyed it. The patties were crispy and tasty. I think I would make this again but make the patties a lot smaller and thinner so there would be a lot more crispiness.
Yum! Thanks so much for this recipe. I had to add more flour, my broccoli was dry but the quinoa wasn’t (noted on my printout for the next time). I made these into Greek-style patties (a splash of lemon juice, dried oregano, feta) and served with tzatziki and sliced cucumber & tomato in whole wheat pitas. Delicious!
And do you think air frying would work well for this?
I bet it would! Cakes are kind of delicate but if you put on parchment then in the air frier, I bet it would work!
As a vegan, what should I use in place of the egg?
Looks delish!
Hi Deb. I’m still experimenting with this. I tried these with ground flax and no cheese, and really didn’t love the outcome- too heavy. Next time will try vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, flax and a little baking powder. If you experiment, will you let me know?
At what point does the egg get added in? Assume it’s in the “Combine” section; I read through the directions three times and still didn’t spot it.
Many thanks!
Opps, sorry, fixed it! Add in the food processor- thanks for catching this June!
Sylvia
Have you ever baked these in the oven?
Sandra
I haven’t! I will try next time and report back.