Varsha’s Favorite Vegan Crab Cakes

Varsha’s Favorite Vegan Crab Cakes

Crab CakesDr. Varsha Rathod, rheumatologist and functional medicine physician at PALM Health, shares her favorite vegan crab cakes recipe for delicious appetizers or a healthy dinner.

INGREDIENTS

Cakes

  • 2 cans of hearts of palm, chopped up medium-sized. Save some liquid.
  • 2 tbsp of vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp of old bay seasoning
  • 1/3 cup of finely chopped shallots/onions
  • 1/3 cup mixture of mixed finely chopped celery and red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley (Italian or curly)
  • ½ cup of chickpea flour (besan)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Dash of black pepper

Breading

  • ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • Dash of cayenne
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil for cooking the cakes

Tartar Sauce (optional):

  • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp of kosher dill pickles finely chopped, or use capers
  • ½ tbsp of chopped parsley
  • ¼ tsp dry dill
  • ¼ tsp old bay seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS

Cakes

  1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Hand-shape the size of the patties that you desire, either cocktail-size or larger for a dinner portion. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the liquid from the cans of hearts of palm, one tablespoon at a time.
  3. Dip the patties in the breading mix and lightly pan-sauté until golden brown on both sides.

Tartar Sauce

  1. Mix ingredients well and refrigerate. Add more mayonnaise if desired.

These vegan crab cakes are great plated on a large bed of salad, or as cocktail appetizers. Dr. Rathod recommends preparing the mix, keeping it refrigerated for up to 5 days, and making it fresh as needed.

Enjoy!