These dill cauliflower fritters with lemon yogurt sauce are the perfect light meal for me. Cauliflower keeps things light and a lemon-spiked Greek yogurt sauce adds a little protein boost to keep you full.
I started making these fritters because I always seemed to have a half head of cauliflower in the fridge that needed to be used. You know, the kind that is starting to get those ugly brown spots that no one wants to eat even though it doesn’t taste different.
The original recipe was made with frozen cauliflower rice, which I’m certain is fast and convenient if you don’t already have the cauliflower in the fridge like me. I find mincing the cauliflower to be cathartic too, so I have written the recipe to start with fresh florets.
The thing that surprised me most about this recipe is that it is loaded with flavor. Cauliflower isn’t the most bold and flavorful ingredient, it’s the dill, parmesan, panko and nutritional yeast that really take the fritters over the top.
How to serve the Dill Cauliflower Fritters with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
I served these as a light meal for two on a weeknight, but they would also make a great appetizer. You could take them to a holiday party, or serve them as a starter for a big family meal.
The sauce can be prepped in advance, and everything but the egg and mayo can be combined and refrigerated until ready to make and serve.
Tips and Tricks for the Dill Cauliflower Fritters with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- Swap dried dill: Use 1 tsp dried dill in place of fresh dill if dill is not in season.
- Lemon: The zest is essential in the dip for a full, bright lemony flavor. The fresh lemon is totally worth it. Use up the extra juice in recipes like Honey Harissa Sheet Pan Tofu, Smoked Tofu Schnitzel, Lemon and Green Olive Pasta, or Lemon Butter Asparagus Ravioli.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor and is sold in flake form in the bulk section of natural food stores. I highly recommend getting some and sprinkling it in anywhere you use panko. It boosts flavors anywhere and everywhere you use it.
- Why Mayo? Mayo is egg based, and I found these fritters needed a little more binding power. By using a tablespoon or two of mayo I avoided cracking an extra egg just to toss half of it and the flavor is seamless with the mayo. If you double the recipe, then 3 eggs would be the right amount and you can omit the mayo.
- Mellow the Garlic: The first step has you soak minced garlic in lemon juice. This allows the acid in the citrus to “cook” the garlic and let it mellow so it will not have the raw garlic bite.
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBS olive oil
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 5 oz cauliflower, minced, about 1 ½ cups florets or 1 ¼ cups minced cauliflower
- 1 TBS minced fresh dill
- ¼ tsp each: salt, pepper, thyme and onion powder
- 1 TBS nutritional yeast
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan
- ½ cup panko
- 1 egg
- 1-2 TBS mayo
- Arugula, for serving (optional)
- Mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and garlic in bowl. Let rest while you prep the cauliflower fritters, about 10 minutes.
- Microwave the minced cauliflower for 2 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the dill, salt, pepper, thyme, onion powder, nutritional yeast, Parmesan, panko, and egg. Add mayo until the mixture hold together enough to form fritters. Form 10 fritters from the mixture, squeezing them together in your hands and flattening slightly.
- Meanwhile, mix the yogurt into the garlic mixture. Let rest another 10 minutes.
- Fry the cauliflower fritters in 1-2 TBS canola oil for about 3 minutes per side. They should be golden brown and heated through when cooked.
- Serve with the yogurt sauce and arugula, if using.
