Vegan Crab Cakes That Are So Good, You Won’t Have Leftovers

Leave the oceans alone and grab some of these crab-less vegan crab cakes! Chef Linda teaches us how to make her totally delicious 2-way vegan crab cakes with easy tartar sauce. You won’t want to miss this one! Linda Soper-Kolton, Director Culinary Arts, Compassionate Cuisine at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, and cookbook author, shows us how to create these crab-less morsels of vegan heaven, without harming our sea-life.

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Ever Been To Catskill Animal Sanctuary?

“Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a 150-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for 11 species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect, and abandonment. Over the years, thousands have come to this place of profound peace. They continue to come — sometimes one needy soul, sometimes a flock of 100 or more at a time. It is our privilege to help each and every rescued animal understand what love feels like. If we’ve learned anything from them, it’s the life-altering truth that in the ways that matter, we are all the same. Animals are as individual as us, want their lives as much as we want ours, and experience the same emotions as we do. Pain, suffering, and fear feel no different to a pig than they do a human being. This belief in our shared “sameness” is the first driver of all that we do. The second is our choice to believe in humanity’s goodness. Each year, thousands of visitors come to meet the animals and learn about the impact of their diet on animals, their health, and our ailing planet.

We watch as profound shifts occur in the disarming moments shared by humans and animals. We offer support through our online vegan culinary classes, Compassionate Cuisine cookbook and recipes, customized digital Sanctuary tours through CAS: Live, engaging online educational programs for kids, and the inspirational writing and speaking of our founder Kathy.”

More About Our Guest Chef

As a vegan chef, culinary instructor, and certified health coach, Linda brings enthusiasm, experience, and relatable style to her cooking classes, coaching, and catering.  She knows food–and people–and is a valuable resource for audiences large and small.  A graduate of New York’s Natural Gourmet Institue for Health and Culinary Arts, lead author of Compassionate Cuisine:  125 Plant-Based Recipes from our Vegan Kitchen, and director of the culinary program by the same name at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Linda speaks with passion and expertise about the joy of cooking and eating compassionately, nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet, overcoming challenges in the kitchen, and life after cheese.

Why Vegan Crab Cakes?  Watch Seaspiracy To Find Out!

Seaspiracy is a top documentary currently on Netflix, which explains to the world why it is so important that we stop fishing and destroying our oceans if we want to survive as a species.  It is a powerful documentary that everyone should watch and it is a perfect time to learn how to make these delicious vegan crab cakes!

As Linda said, “If your heart swoons for crab cakes in the summer but you want a more compassionate solution to your craving, this recipe is a must. With two options to replace the crab, you can decide which you like best; hearts of palm, an ingredient found jarred or in cans in most grocery stores; or jackfruit, a large tropical fruit that is most often purchased in cans. Both have their merits. Both are delicious. When using jackfruit, add an extra heaping tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise because the volume in one can is more. I use kelp flakes to add a bit of briny, seaside taste: Find them in the global aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Light, crispy, and so flavorful, these compassionate “crab” cakes are always the hit of the party when we serve them at the Sanctuary. Lovely as an appetizer or main course served with fries or salad greens. If you want to be wildly popular, we encourage you to make these frequently.”

See Also

At Home With The Jenners on UnchainedTV

Compassionate “Crab” Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

This recipe is included in our cookbook Compassionate Cuisine: 125 Plant-Based Recipes from Our Vegan Kitchen (https://casanctuary.org/compassionate-cuisine/cookbook/)Allergen

If your heart swoons for crab cakes in the summer but you want a more compassionate solution to your craving, this recipe is a must. With two options to replace the crab, you can decide which you like best; hearts of palm, an ingredient found jarred or in cans in most grocery stores; or jackfruit, a large tropical fruit that is most often purchased in cans. Both have their merits. Both are delicious. When using jackfruit, add an extra heaping tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise because the volume in one can is more. We use kelp flakes to add a bit of briny, seaside taste: Find them in the global aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Light, crispy, and so flavorful, these compassionate “crab” cakes are always the hit of the party when we serve them at the Sanctuary. Lovely as an appetizer or main course served with fries or salad greens. If you want to be wildly popular, we encourage you to make these frequently.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Appetizers, Main Courses

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs regular or gluten-free, divided
• ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kelp flakes
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 14- to 16-ounce jar or can of hearts of palm, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped OR USE 1 20-ounce can of jackfruit, in brine, drained and pulsed in a food processor or finely chopped
• ½ red bell pepper finely chopped, about ½ cup
• 2 large celery stalks about 1 cup
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 large shallot minced, about 2 tablespoons
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil for frying or baking plus more if necessary, for frying
• Remoulade Sauce
• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon capers rinsed and chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Measure out ¾ cup of the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, kelp flakes, mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, ground pepper, and cayenne. Add hearts of palm (or jackfruit), bell pepper, celery, parsley, shallots, the remaining ¾ cup of breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Let stand for about 10 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to bind everything together.
• To make the sauce, stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Gently shape “crab” cake mixture into small patties, about 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Dredge the patties in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry cakes until golden brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Alternatively, to bake the “crab” cakes, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil and place shaped cakes on it several inches apart. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, carefully flipping once midway through baking.
• Serve immediately with a dollop of sauce on top.

Notes

Notes: Contains ingredients that may contain soy

Make Ahead Notes: Mixture can be made a day in advance

Keyword vegan

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks For Joining Us and Please Choose Compassion!

Thanks for joining us for lunch and considering choosing a more compassionate vegan crab cake, and helping to keep our oceans alive.  If you are looking for other amazing vegan recipes to try be sure to jump over to the #LunchBreakLIVE page where we have a ton to choose from.  Until next time…keep cookin’!