Vegan Crab Cakes ~

A plant-based version of the seafood classic!

Serve over succotash and top with zesty Homemade Remoulade Sauce.

Table of Contents

Vegan Crab Cake Recipe

There was a time, five years ago to be precise, when I absolutely loved crab cakes and can honestly say it’s one of the very few dishes I actually “missed” going vegetarian.

But, let me tell you…

Amidst the virtual sea of meatless “crab” cake recipes out there I have finally hit on one that seriously delivers.

Vegan Crab Cakes - Among the virtual sea of meatless "crab" cake recipes out there I have finally hit on a recipe that seriously delivers.

These cakes have all the texture and flavor you remember, without harming a single crab.

This recipe comes directly from The Sexy Vegan Cookbook by Brian L. Patton and I tip my hat to him on this one because my only deviations from the original recipe are minor (using a food processor in the prep and yielding 8 smaller cakes rather 4 large ones.)

Indulge and enjoy!

Vegan Crabby Cakes | Al the taste and texture you love without harming a single crab! | thiswifecooks.com

Ingredients for Vegan Crab Cakes

You will need the following:

tempeh
chickpeas
olive oil
yellow onion
red bell pepper
celery
salt
Panko breadcrumbs
Old Bay seasoning
vegan mayonnaise
capers
Italian parsley
lemon juice
Dijon mustard
kelp or seaweed powder
cayenne pepper sauce
ground black pepper

How to Make Vegan Crab Cakes

STEP ONE: Using a steamer basket, steam the tempeh for 25 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Add chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Be careful not to overdo it here; you want to retain the texture of a real crab cake.

STEP TWO: Scrape chopped chickpeas into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the food processor. Pulse until finely diced.

STEP THREE: Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, red pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, 8 minutes, or until onion is tender. Set aside to cool.

STEP FOUR: Crumble the tempeh into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked veggies, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, 1/2 Tablespoon (1 1/2 tsp.) Old Bay, mayonnaise, chickpeas, capers, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, kelp powder, a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce, and a few twists of salt and pepper.

STEP FIVE: Using your hands, mash everything together. Divide the mixture into 8 small patties.

STEP SIX: Combine the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay in a bowl.

STEP SEVEN: In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Dredge each cake in the breadcrumb mixture and place them in the pan to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip over and brown the other side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a little extra Old Bay and serve.

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Vegan Crab Cakes

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dairy free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 55

Servings:

Calories: 509kcal

Author: Holly Gray

Ingredients

1 8-oz. package tempeh
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and dried completely
2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
1/4 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup celery
salt to taste
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon capers drained and chopped
1 Tablespoon Italian parsley chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kelp or seaweed powder I used crushed nori flakes and that worked fine
Cayenne pepper sauce to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Using a steamer basket, steam the tempeh for 25 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Add chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until rough chopped. Be careful to not overdo it here; you want to retain the texture of a real crab cake. Scrape chopped chickpeas into a large mixing bowl.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the food processor. Pulse until finely diced.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, red pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, 8 minutes, or until onion are tender. Set aside to cool.
Crumble the tempeh into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked veggies, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, 1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay, mayonnaise, chickpeas, capers, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, kelp powder, a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce, and a few twists of salt and pepper.
Using your hands, mash everything together. Divide the mixture into 8 small patties.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay in a bowl.
In a large pan, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
Dredge each cake in the bread crumb mixture and place them in the pan to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip over and brown the other side.
Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a little extra Old Bay and serve hot.

Nutrition

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