When my husband and I were dating and would go out for dinner we almost always ordered the crab cakes to split as an appetizer. I mean who doesn’t love a good crab cake?!
Then we decided to get health conscious as we got older (don’t we all?! LOL) and came to realize that they are not the healthiest items on the menu. Granted, it depends on how they are made but even then it depends on the type of crab that is used. I know, so much to think about when all you want is to enjoy a damn crab cake!
Well, when the juice place in town (that I ever so frequent at!) had a vegan crab cake on the menu one day I was intrigued! I knew it would not have crab in it but I really had no idea what it would consist of. When I found out that the main ingredient was artichokes I was like what?! I love artichokes! Who knew they could replace a crab cake and taste so yummy?!
This is often how my recipe creations come about…I am a foodie and eat around at local places often and then inspiration strikes because why not recreate at home?!
After a few searches and test runs, I found what recipe works best to my liking. There are options to add fish sauce, seaweed wraps, etc to bring that ‘crab’ taste into it but I don’t care for that (great if you do – please feel free to add!) Plus I like to go with what ingredients I have on hand already!
All that is needed is;
chickpeas
artichokes
onion
garlic
coconut aminos
apple cider vinegar
lemon juice
mustard
fresh dill & parsley (from my garden!)
panko breadcrumbs
salt & pepper to taste
Mashed all together to form what looks like crab cake meat! I did saute the onions and garlic first, then added in the chickpeas and mashed them but left them chunky to create that crab cake-like consistency. Chopped up the artichokes and added everything together in 1 bowl and mixed well.
I used my egg ring and formed 6 patties. I first went with adding coconut oil to my frying pan to get them a golden brown but they are too fragile to flip so in the oven they went at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. I finished them off with a quick broil to brown them a bit and it was perfecto! They came out so yummy and delicious!
Now with crab cakes, you traditionally have a tartar sauce but I decided to go with a roasted red pepper sauce made with plain greek yogurt. Just a few simple ingredients and you have a tasty sauce to top it off with! (recipe below)
I put everything over black rice mixed with cauliflower rice and peas. Yum! You could always opt to have them over greens as well and use the roasted red pepper sauce as a dressing too! The possibilities are endless! You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few days and reheat in a pan with a little oil (careful when flipping!) or possibly freeze but I have not tried this yet.
You may not have any leftovers though! Either way enjoy and be sure to tag me on Instagram to share your creation!
xo, cherise
Vegan Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 1 can artichokes chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dijon or honey mustard
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 tsp lemon juice
- Fresh parsley & dill a handful of each - to your liking
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350f
- Add 1 tsp olive oil to the pan on medium heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes then add garlic (be sure not to brown)
- Add chickpeas to a bowl and mash with the back of a fork - leave some clumps for texture.
- Add in onion and garlic mixture along with rest of ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Form into either 4 large patties or 8 small.
- Pan fry until golden brown on the outside. Option to heat in the oven for a few minutes to warm through.
- Server over greens, side black rice, and top with roasted red pepper sauce.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 7 ojar roasted red peppers drained (reserve 1 tsp oil from the jar
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together until combined well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Use leftovers as dressing or freeze in cubes for later use.
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