Vegan "Crab" Cakes
Crispy vegan crab cakes with canned artichokes, chickpeas, dill, roasted red peppers, and a touch of smoked paprika. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and vegan Tzatziki.
Servings: 12 "crab" cakes
Ingredients
For the “Crab” Cake Mixture
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained liquid reserved and chickpeas rinsed
- 2 (14-ounce) artichoke hearts (quartered), drained
- 3/4 cup plain panko (or plain breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 cup minced scallions (about 2 large scallions)
- 1/3 cup minced celery (about 1 large stalk)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped roasted red pepper (about 1 medium pepper, or from a drained jar)
- 3 tablespoons reserved chickpea water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper (or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Coating and Searing
- 1 cup plain panko or plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
For Serving
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 2 cups vegan Tzatziki (homemade or store-bought), for dipping
Instructions
Make the Vegan Crab Cake Mixture
- Process the artichokes and chickpeas. Into a food processor, add the drained chickpeas and pulse 6 to 8 times until they are chopped but chunky. Make sure you scrape down the sides and along the bottom edge with a rubber spatula after every 2 pulses to prevent the chickpeas from forming a paste. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Dry and process the artichokes. Using a clean kitchen towel, place the drained artichokes in the center, pull the corners together, and twist and squeeze over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer the artichokes to the food processor and pulse 6 times until chopped and chunky but still holding some shape, being careful not to over-process. Transfer to the bowl with the chickpeas.
- Make the mixture. To the bowl with the chickpeas and artichokes, add the breadcrumbs, scallions, celery, roasted red pepper, reserved chickpea water, cornstarch, parsley, dill, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika, and kosher salt. Use your hands to combine until the dry ingredients have moistened and everything is evenly dispersed. Place the bowl in the fridge while you make the coating.
Form and Coat the Patties
- Get the coating ready. To a shallow bowl or pie plate, add the breadcrumbs, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Combine the mixture using your hands, making sure the cornstarch is evenly dispersed.
- Form the patties. Remove the artichoke and chickpea mixture from the fridge. Grab a small handful of the mixture and squeeze it, it should clump together. If it doesn’t hold its shape, return to the fridge for 30 minutes. Scoop about a 1/3 cup of the mixture into your hand, and press firmly to shape into a disk about the size of a hockey puck (or a small hamburger patty about ½-inch thick). Do this until all the mixture has been shaped. You should have about 12 patties.
- Coat the patties. Place one patty at a time in the breadcrumb mixture and gently press into the breadcrumbs so all sides are covered. Once coated, place it on a large plate. Repeat until all the patties are coated.
Cook and Serve
- Cook the cakes. Set a paper towel-lined plate near your stove. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, about 3 tablespoons. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the cakes in a single layer. Be careful not to crowd them; you may have to do this in batches. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown, pressing down lightly with a spatula to ensure even heat contact is made on the pan. Flip and cook the other side for 3 to 5 minutes, adding another tablespoon of oil if needed. Repeat until all the cakes are cooked, transfering to the prepared plate as you go.
- Plate up. Serve with lemon wedges and tzatziki.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, smoked paprika, and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.
- To make the tzatziki from scratch: Use this Tzatziki recipe and swap the yogurt for your favorite plain plant-based variety. Or you can use a store bought option. (Nutritional calculation does not include the tzatziki.)
- To freeze: Although best served straight away, the “crab” cakes can be formed, placed on a sheet pan, frozen for 1 hour, and then added to a Ziplock bag or airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking.
Nutrition
Calories: 187.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.2g | Protein: 8.5g | Fat: 2.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Sodium: 579.5mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 7.6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 203.8IU | Vitamin C: 10.3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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