VEGAN CRAB CAKES

🌿 FULL RECIPE🌿

Yields: 10-13 cakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Olive Oil or oil spray

14.5 ounce can Heart of Palm or artichoke hearts

½ cup chickpeas drained

1/2 cup chickpea water (aqaufaba)

¼ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 green onion sliced

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning +1/2 teaspoons

½ teaspoon mustard

½ cup breadcrumbs divided ( I am using gluten free)

Pinch salt

Dash pepper

crispy potato straws (optional)

homemade coleslaw (optional)

Drain the artichoke hearts on a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze them to remove any liquid from inside. You want them to be as dry as possible, so that your cakes aren't too wet to stick together.
Put the drained artichoke hearts, chickpeas, bell pepper, and onions into a food processor. Pulse 6 to 8 times until they are evenly broken up. Scrape down the sides if necessary to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
(Be sure not to over blend. The texture should be like a chunky salsa, not hummus.)
In a separate bowl whisk the reserved bean liquid well until it's foamy. Then add the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and all the dry seasonings. Whisk to combine well.
Now add the bread crumbs, green onion, and hearts of palm and garbanzo bean mixture. Gently fold to combine. Taste for seasoning, add more if needed.
Put the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs on a plate, with 1/2 teaspoon of old bay seasoning.
Use a ¼ measuring cup to portion out each crab cake. Form it into a cake in your hands. Then coat each side with the panko breadcrumbs on the plate.
Pop the mixture in the freezer for 20 minutes. This helps the mixture stay together a bit better

TO FRY:

Test the oil to see if it's hot enough. Put a breadcrumb into the oil. If bubbles immediately form around it, it's ready for frying.
Shallow fry the cakes in the skillet for 3 minutes on one side. Flip and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Be careful not to overcrowd the cakes in the skillet. A medium sized skillet can hold about 4 cakes. Work in batches if necessary.
Once they are browned on both sides, move them to a towel-lined plate to drain.

TO AIR FRY:

Put the cakes into the air fryer basket. Be careful not to overcrowd. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches. Spritz the cakes with oil spray.
Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip halfway through, and spritz the other side with oil.
Move the crab cakes to a serving plate. Top each crab cake with a dollop of lemon dill aioli. Finish with a sprinkling of fresh dill for garnish.

🍍 Pro Tips:

*TO BAKE:

Put the cakes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spritz with oil spray. Bake for 20 minutes, stopping once halfway through to flip. After you've flipped the cakes, spray them again with oil before returning them to the oven.
You can replace artichoke hearts for hear of palm.
If you don't have Old Bay seasoning salt, replace it with your favorite Cajun seasoning salt.