Although these hearts of palm crab cakes may sound daunting, the recipe is approachable and quick to make and prepare. These vegan crab cakes will be a perfect centerpiece for your next dinner party, and they also make for a great side dish.
This recipe is made with simple ingredients and paired with a vegan mayo and hot sauce dip. Needless to say, you won’t be able to put them down once you’ve tried them.
Read more: 15 Vegan Dinner Party Main Course Ideas
The key ingredients in this dish are chickpeas and hearts of palm. While we know that chickpeas are packed with plant protein, not everyone is familiar with palm hearts. So, what is heart of palm?
Heart of palm is the inner core of certain kinds of palm trees. The tender vegetable is processed, often jarred or canned, and it has recently become more well-known worldwide. It has a good amount of fiber, and its also popular for its antioxidant properties and essential amino acids.
The recipe comes from vegan influencer Danielle Brown, who creates super easy plant-based meals in her vegan cookbook HealthyGirl Kitchen. The cookbook offers healthy, gluten-free optional, refined sugar, and flour free plant-based recipes.
Read more: 15 Delicious Meaty Recipes (That Are All 100% Vegan)
Hearts of palm crab cakes
![a picture of a plate decorated with hearts of palm crab cakes with a vegan aioli in the middle](https://plantbasednews.org/app/uploads/2024/08/plant-based-news-hearts-of-palm-crab-cakes-1200x745.jpg)
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- ⅓ cup aquafaba (chickpea can liquid)
- 2 cans hearts of palm drained
- 1½ cups bread crumbs (GF optional) divided
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For garnish
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon wedge
For the vegan aioli
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1-2 tbsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, but reserve ⅓ cup of the liquid (aquafaba). Pulse the chickpeas and hearts of palm in a food processor. Do not overblend.
- In a bowl, mix together the aquafaba, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, garlic powder, hot sauce, and vegan mayo.
- Add the mixture of chickpeas and hearts of palm to the bowl and combine with the other mixture.
- Form into patties about 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
- Add the remaining bread crumbs onto a plate. Roll the patties in the bread crumbs.
- Panfry in the olive oil on medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Refresh the olive oil in the pan if necessary.)
- To make the aioli, mix the vegan mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl and serve with the crab cakes. Garnish with the fresh parsley and lemon wedge, and enjoy.
Republished with permission from DK Publishing and Danielle Brown founder and CEO of the wildly popular plant-based lifestyle brand, HealthyGirl Kitchen. Find her cookbook here and her Instagram here.
Read more: 25 High Protein Vegan Recipes