Hearts Of Palm Crab Cakes
Tender hearts of palm are blended with chickpeas, nori, and the perfect blend of aromatics and spices to make a crisp on the outside, tender on the inside no crab, crab cake. Add a slightly spicy sriracha/caper aioli and let the flavors take you away. These Hearts Of Palm Crab Cakes are truly one of my FAVORITE things to eat. Period.
Crab Cakes
No secret here. I LOVE crab cakes, though I don’t eat them unless I am at a restaurant. About a year ago or so, my husband and I stumbled upon a vegetarian restaurant here in Wisconsin called Cafe Manna. It has since become our go-to place for eating out. One of our favorite things on the menu? The crab-less crab cakes. They blew me away. They actually tasted like crab cakes.
I had to find out how this was done. There were a few recipes I found online and they were pretty good, but not exactly what I was looking for. I needed a little more flavor than what they were offering. I thought about ingredients I liked to put in other plant based “seafood” dishes I made and got to work.
The Ingredients
The chickpea/hearts of palm base is a keeper. These two work together perfectly to create the right consistency. Plus the chickpeas add so much protein and fiber. The hearts of palm are what give this recipe their classic “crab” feel. They are kind of flaky when you pulse them in the food processor. To find out more about hearts of palm, watch this video:
Old Bay seasoning is a must in here. It has that classic blend of spices plus that hint of celery salt that gives seafood dishes their signature taste. I needed something that was going to add a little hint of “fishy” taste to mimic the crab so I threw a nori sheet into my grinder and this chopped it up into small pieces that I could add in. Alternatively I have used kelp or dulce flakes and they have a similar effect without the extra step. Add in the Umi Plum Vinegar and it is perfection! You can find this in the vinegar section of some specialty grocery stores, or you can get it here. Umi Plum Vinegar
The jalapeños add a crisp peppery flavor with subtle spice and the red onion is an absolute must. The mayo, dijon mustard, and lemon give the creaminess to hold the batter together while the panko bread crumbs give it a crisp outside when pan fried. SO GOOD!
Sriracha Caper Aioli
I stumbled across this most delicious sauce when I was up north at the lake. I didn’t have all the ingredients in my refrigerator that I was used to so it was a “use a little of this and a little of that” type of situation. The healthier option here would be to use a homemade cashew mayo and skip the Thai chili sauce. You could use maple syrup to sweeten instead. I liked the heat of the chili sauce so I added just a bit of it. Don’t skip the capers! They add the perfect amount of sour acidity.
What Are The Best Ways To Cook
I prefer cooking with little to no oil for many reasons. This recipe is one of my exceptions and here is where I cook them with “little” oil. The reason is that I love how the oil crisps them up so nice and golden in the pan. I add about two teaspoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil to a non-stick pan and fry them on medium for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Before you do this though, be sure to refrigerate the patties for about 30 minutes so that the mixture can stick together better while cooking.
There are other ways to make these. You can spray lightly with oil and bake them at 400 for about 20 minutes. Or put them in the air fryer. I would preheat my air fryer to about 375. Then lightly spray with olive or avocado oil and bake for 15 minutes turning halfway in between. You can of course use no oil in any of these situations and they will still be delicious.
I think it is best to eat these right away, but you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. If there are leftovers, I find they are delicious the next day served cold or warmed over a bed of crisp lettuce. You can freeze the uncooked patties for up to three months. Just allow to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.
Definitely give these a try! Let me know in the comments how you liked them!
~Lora
Hearts of Palm Crab Cakes
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
For The Crab Cakes
- 1 14oz can hearts of palm cut into large pieces
- 1 14oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced*
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 2 Tbsp Kelp or Dulce flakes**
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Umi Plum Vinegar (optional)
- ¼ cup vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- shredded cabbage and micro greens to garnish
For The Sriracha Caper Aioli
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- ¼ cup capers (drained)
- 2 Tbsp Thai Chili Sauce
Instructions
For The Crab Cakes
- Place chickpeas and chopped hearts of palm in a food processor and pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly with some flaky pieces of hearts of palm still visible.
- Transfer to a large bowl and stir in jalapeños, red onion, kelp flakes or nori, old bay seasoning, fresh parsley and bread crumbs. Stir gently to combine.
- In a smaller bowl whisk together the mayo, mustard, plum vinegar, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Pour the mayo mixture over the dry mixture and stir gently until combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop and form into medium sized patties. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.
- To cook, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Cook patties on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes per side.
- Top with Sriracha Caper Aioli, shredded cabbage, and micro greens to serve.
For The Sriracha Caper Aioli
- Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve about 1-2 Tbsp over each crab cake.
Notes
- *You could also use 1/2 cup of diced green pepper instead.
- **You could use a sheet of nori ground up into small pieces here instead.
Nutrition
Like hearts of palm? Try my delicious Hearts of Palm Alfredo Pasta
