Crunchy, spicy, and loaded with flavor, these veggie fritters are a great way to use up zucchini. You can make them in advance and
have them ready in just a few minutes. I like to serve them with lots of lemon and garnished with microgreens or any finely chopped herb. You can make the cakes the day before you want to cook them, but it’s best to serve them within 15 minutes of cooking them to keep their crunchiness at its best. Feel free to vary the veggies: celery, green pepper, fennel, or even jicama work well. Just be sure to finely dice the veggies and you’ll have a delicious result.
Veggie Fritters
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 12 fritters
A perfect recipe for using up extra zucchini!
Ingredients
- 2 medium or 1 large zucchini (about 4 cups when grated)
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1/3 cup when diced)
- 1 large carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup when grated)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked for a few minutes in 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- lemon wedges (1 or 2 per person)
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt (for salting the zucchini)
- grapeseed oil for frying the fritters
Instructions
Grate the zucchini and put it in a colander set over a plate or bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt, mix well and sprinkle again with the remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Press down gently on the zucchini with the bottom of a soup ladle or serving spoon to express the water. Do this every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes or until the zucchini has released about 1/4 cup of liquid. You can also put the salted zucchini in a cheesecloth and gently squeeze it to express the liquid, but don't mash the zucchini into a paste.
Put the zucchini, red pepper, onion, carrot, mayonnaise, chia seeds, panko, and spices into a large bowl. Mix gently until all the vegetables are evenly distributed. With your hands, gather about 1/3 cup of the mixture and form it into a patty shape. Make the edges even so they will hold together when you are cooking them. Continue until all the mixture is used. Chill the fritters on a tray for at least 15 minutes. They will firm up as they chill.
Set your oven to low (about 200 F) and put a large baking sheet in the oven. Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil. Fry the fritters in batches for about 3 minutes and flip them carefully. Cook on the second side for about another 3 minutes. They should be a rich golden brown on each side. Put the cooked fritters on a baking sheet into a medium oven until all the fritters are cooked.
Serve the fritters with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side. These are great served with a simple green salad dressed with mustard vinaigrette.
Courses Main Dishes, Brunch
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