Vegetarian Crab Cakes & Tartar Sauce
I grew up in South Florida and always enjoyed a well made crab cake that was composed of large lumps of crab meat and had loads of textural variance without too much breading. My wife is a vegetarian and these vegetarian crab cakes deliver a surprisingly similar result to the point where I’m just as satisfied and don’t really care that there isn’t any actual crab in them.
The big trick, heart of palm and chickpeas, lightly pulsed in a food processor. I may sound like an odd combo, but the texture you get is both varied and very similar to that of lump crab meat.
I first heard of this technique from a friend of mine who was going vegan with her husband years ago and was looking for clever replacements for some of their old favorites. They also toasted a sheet of nori to add which really helped amp up that oceany flavor.
I like to go heavy on the herbs for this and sometimes go a bit spicy with some more chili flakes but you can adjust all of that to your preference.
We use a decent amount of panko for this but they don’t come out overly bready and still have a ton of texture when you bite into them.
Also, quick tip, cool down the mixture in the fridge makes it much easier to form your patties!
Ingredients for the Cakes:
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
3 15 oz cans hearts of palm, drained and cut into short baton
2 tbsp chives, minced
2 tbsp tarragon, minced
1 tbsp coconut aminos or vegan worchestire
2 tbsp toasted nori, ground
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp aleppo pepper flakes
1 tsp old bay seasoning
2 large eggs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup mayo
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp avocado oil
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Sauce:
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp capers, minced
2 tbsp cornichons, minced
1 tsp tarragon, minced
2 tbsp chives
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon
salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Lightly pulse chickpeas and hearts of palm in a food processor, be careful not to over process. The texture should still be fairly chunky while still well mixed.
In a large bowl, ad mayo, half the panko, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, aleppo pepper, old bay, mustard, coconut aminos, toasted nori and 1 egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.
Using a ⅓ measuring cup, form the mixture into patties and line them on an aluminum ½ sheet pan with parchment.
Set up a plate with the remaining egg (whisked) and another with the remaining panko. Dredge each of the patties into the egg and then the breadcrumbs, covering both sides.
Heat butter and oil in a cast iron skillet. Add patties and cook until browned and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
Serve with tartar sauce and more chives.
#vegetarian