Vegan Crab Cakes

"“So, what’s in these vegan crab cakes that make them taste similar to the real deal”, you ask? Well, I use Hearts of Palm which have a very similar texture to fish when it’s broken up. It doesn’t taste like crab, but that’s where the seasonings come in. I also used garbanzo beans which have a flaky-like texture when broken up. They also add a nice dose of protein to the recipe. So, basically these two ingredients will be replacing the crab meat and creates that flaky and stringy texture. Now for the seasonings, I kept them as traditional as possible and they are very basic ingredients (which happen to already be vegan). I used Old Bay Seasoning, worcestershire sauce, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you can’t find Old Bay seasoning, you can use any basic seafood seasoning (just make sure it’s vegan). Also, there have been times that I left it out all together and they were just as delicious (you might need to add a little more salt though). I use kelp or dulce flakes to give these cakes a subtle hint of the ocean. It’s not needed, but adds a nice flavor and natural source of iodine to the dish. For the rest of the recipe, I used vegan mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and some fresh green onion. You can also add some celery, corn or bell pepper to change it up a bit. I did use some oil to pan-fry them which doesn’t make them über healthy. However, I use minimal oil and only use a high smoke point variety…like coconut, avocado, grape seed, safflower and sunflower oil. The oil won’t turn rancid under the heating process. If you want to make a healthier version of this dish, you can definitely bake these. Just set your oven to 450 and bake about 8-10 minutes on each side. Make sure to lightly grease your baking sheet, too."

Preparation Time15 min

Cooking Time20 min