Description
These Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes are a delightful vegan alternative to traditional crab cakes, offering a flaky and delicate texture that closely mimics the seafood original. Featuring hearts of palm and chickpeas as the base, combined with fresh vegetables, Old Bay seasoning, and dulse flakes for a savory, umami-packed flavor, these crab cakes are crispy on the outside and tender inside. Served with a vegan tartar sauce, they make a perfect appetizer or light main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 14.4 ounce jar of hearts of palm (drained)
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Binding & Flavor
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons dulse flakes
Condiments & Sauces
- 1/2 cup cashew mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 recipe vegan tartar sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare chickpeas and hearts of palm: Rinse and drain the chickpeas thoroughly. Drain the hearts of palm from the jar to remove excess liquid.
- Process the base ingredients: Add the drained chickpeas and hearts of palm to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture is chopped and has a flaky texture similar to crab meat. Be careful not to over-pulse to avoid creating a puree.
- Combine ingredients: Transfer the processed mixture to a large bowl. Add diced red onion, red bell pepper, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, dulse flakes, and Old Bay seasoning. Mix everything gently until well combined.
- Form crab cakes: Shape the mixture into patties of your desired size. This recipe yields about 4 crab cakes.
- Cook the crab cakes: Heat a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of oil. Cook the crab cakes for approximately 8 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside and heated through.
- Prepare condiments: In a small bowl, mix the cashew mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to create a flavorful spread. Serve the crab cakes with this sauce and vegan tartar sauce on the side.
Notes
- Hearts of palm is an excellent plant-based substitute for flaky crab meat in this recipe.
- Handle the mixture gently when forming patties to keep the flaky texture.
- For crispier crab cakes, press the patties firmly and avoid overloading with bread crumbs.
- Serve warm with vegan tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon for extra brightness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crab cake
- Calories: 117 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 241 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
