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Recipe: Vegan Crab-less Cakes with Lemony Tartar Sauce

We recently reconnected with our talented friend Deb Gleason, a certified holistic nutritionist and vegan culinary artist with a love of the planet, animals, and scrumptious food. A former resident of the Sunshine Coast, Deb now lives in Hawaii. She has graciously shared her yummy Vegan Crab-less Cakes recipe, and we can’t wait for you to try it – let us know what you think!

Vegan Crab-less Cakes

Crispy outside and tender and succulent on the inside. Fish friendly and perfect as a main dish or a side.

  • 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and well drained
  • 14 oz can hearts of palm, squeezed of can liquid
  • 14 oz can artichokes, squeezed of can liquid
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 sheet nori, chopped into small flakes or 2 teaspoons kelp granules
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (divided)
  • Oil for pan-frying (avocado or coconut work well)
  • 1/4 cup green onion or chives, minced for topping

To make the crab-less cakes place the hearts of palm and artichokes on a cutting board and shred with the backside of a fork creating a stringy, chunky texture. Place the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and mash slightly with a fork or potato masher. Add in the shredded hearts of palm and artichokes to the bowl.

To the bowl add the minced red bell pepper, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Stir and then add in the nori or kelp, dill, Old Bay Seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine well. Now gently fold in 3/4 cup of the breadcrumbs.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or plate. Use about 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time to form a ball in your hands. Flatten each ball to form a crab cake patty shape. Coat each patty in the breadcrumbs on the top, bottom and sides.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil and wait until it gets hot and shimmery before adding patties. Place a portion of your patties in your pan making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry them for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. When done, transfer the patties to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Continue cooking in batches until all the patties are fried. You may want to wipe out the pan between each batch and add more oil.

Serve hot topped with lemony tartar sauce, a sprinkle of fresh or dried dill and green onion.

Lemony Tartar Sauce

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon relish
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

To make the tartar sauce whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

More Recipes from Deb Gleason

If you want more, Deb has published two cookbooks (and is working on her 3rd) where she creates juicy recipes using the abundance of tropical plant ingredients from the lush, fertile āina (the land) of her new home in Hawaii. Read more about Deb Gleason, or to buy her cookbooks at https://deborahgleason.com/.