Vegan Crab Cakes
"OMG, these are amazing," said my husband. To be fair, he had low expectations for vegan crab cakes. But these have a very authentic flavor, thanks to the tofu being spiced with Old Bay seasoning. I've made them multiple times for omnivorous crowds, and they are always a hit when served with vegan tartar sauce.
Ingredients
Vegan Crab Cakes
- 1/4 cup Yellow Onion diced
- 1/4 cups carrot diced or shredded
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp. flax seed
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 lb tofu extra firm
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 Tbsp. Dry White Wine
- 2 tsp. dulce optional (substitute any other seaweed flakes)
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1.5 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil substitute olive oil
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup vegan mayonaise
- 2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. minced onion
- 1 tsp. Horseradish optional: leave out or add more
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Saute the onion and carrot for about 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add splashes of water or olive oil to prevent sticking. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
- In a small mixing cup, place 1 Tbsp. flax seed in 1 Tbsp. water. Allow flax to absorb the water (takes only a few minutes).
- In a large bowl, crumble the tofu. Add yeast flakes, white wine, lime juice, hydrated flax seed and white pepper. Mix thoroughly. Adding dulce, kelp or other seaweed flakes will add a "fishy" flavor and a power-pack of minerals.
- In a separate bowl, combine breadsticks and Old Bay Seasoning. (You can substitute with other creole seasoning, but honestly, this was worth an extra trip to the store (and searching through the spice and baking isles, only to find it hidden on a random shelf in the back of the store).
- Mix the seasoned bread crumbs and sautéed veggies into the tofu mixture. Form into patties and place onto parchment paper on a baking sheet. Optional: brush with avocado or olive oil to achieve a crunchy fried exterior.
- Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway (brush with extra oil if desired). The exterior will be slightly crunchy and browned.
- Mix tartar sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe does not require pressing or drying of the tofu because baking on parchment paper does a great job eliminating excess water. Plus, easy peasy clean up. It does not escape me that Old Bay seasoning has hidden ingredients. If you have allergies or prefer to make your own, this recipe has a lot of positive reviews.https://www.thespruceeats.com/old-bay-seasoning-mix-480917
Vegan Crab Cakes
"OMG, these are amazing," said my husband. To be fair, he had low expectations for vegan crab cakes. But these have a very authentic flavor, thanks to the tofu being spiced with Old Bay seasoning. I've made them multiple times for omnivorous crowds, and they are always a hit when served with vegan tartar sauce.
Ingredients
Vegan Crab Cakes
- 1/4 cup Yellow Onion diced
- 1/4 cups carrot diced or shredded
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp. flax seed
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 lb tofu extra firm
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 Tbsp. Dry White Wine
- 2 tsp. dulce optional (substitute any other seaweed flakes)
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1.5 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil substitute olive oil
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup vegan mayonaise
- 2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. minced onion
- 1 tsp. Horseradish optional: leave out or add more
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Saute the onion and carrot for about 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add splashes of water or olive oil to prevent sticking. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
- In a small mixing cup, place 1 Tbsp. flax seed in 1 Tbsp. water. Allow flax to absorb the water (takes only a few minutes).
- In a large bowl, crumble the tofu. Add yeast flakes, white wine, lime juice, hydrated flax seed and white pepper. Mix thoroughly. Adding dulce, kelp or other seaweed flakes will add a "fishy" flavor and a power-pack of minerals.
- In a separate bowl, combine breadsticks and Old Bay Seasoning. (You can substitute with other creole seasoning, but honestly, this was worth an extra trip to the store (and searching through the spice and baking isles, only to find it hidden on a random shelf in the back of the store).
- Mix the seasoned bread crumbs and sautéed veggies into the tofu mixture. Form into patties and place onto parchment paper on a baking sheet. Optional: brush with avocado or olive oil to achieve a crunchy fried exterior.
- Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway (brush with extra oil if desired). The exterior will be slightly crunchy and browned.
- Mix tartar sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe does not require pressing or drying of the tofu because baking on parchment paper does a great job eliminating excess water. Plus, easy peasy clean up. It does not escape me that Old Bay seasoning has hidden ingredients. If you have allergies or prefer to make your own, this recipe has a lot of positive reviews.https://www.thespruceeats.com/old-bay-seasoning-mix-480917
I made these today on a whim, on our final day of our annual vacation. I had a block of extra firm tofu that I had pressed overnight for another purpose, and that plan fell through. I went Googling to find a vegan crab cake recipe because I have been craving something seafood like. Looking this recipe over, it sounded like it ticked all the right boxes for my taste preferences – and it did not disappoint!
Since my tofu was pressed, I feel like the cakes came out a little on the dry side. I would not press the tofu for very long (if at all) when making this recipe again in the future. And I will definitely be making these again! Five stars from me and my husband who said these could easily pass as the ‘real deal!’
I did make a couple of minor tweaks (I rarely, if ever, make a recipe as-written). I did not have Dulse flakes, so I pulsed a small piece of Kombu in my spice grinder. I feel like it worked great! I also added 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, about 2 Tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley and 1/4 cup of chopped green onion (green part only). Brushed with olive oil and baked as directed.
I also did have relish for tartar, so I whipped up a lemon-dill aioli with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, dill and sea salt. Honestly, these tasted like a very indulgent treat. Thank you for sharing this recipe!