Carrot Fritters

These carrot fritters are made with red lentils and quinoa and a spicy tahini harissa yogurt sauce for dipping. They're vegan, gluten free and SO delicious!

Fritters are so underrated. They're surprisingly easy to make and they're such a perfect appetizer or side dish, especially with the perfect dipping sauce.

These carrot fritters are absolutely packed with flavor! They're also vegan and gluten free, yet unlike many other recipes, they actually hold together when pan-fried.

The quinoa and lentils add a bit of heft so you can actually enjoy these as a full meal if you so desire. And seriously, don't skip the sauce. It's amazing!

Craving fritters? Try these zucchini fritters next!

Ingredients

• Lentils: we use red lentils in this recipe, which cook faster and are softer in texture.
• Quinoa: tricolor, red or white quinoa work best. Quinoa and red lentils cook at the same rate, so we cook them together with vegetable broth instead of water to add extra flavor.
• Flax "egg": simply ground flax meal + water, which forms a gelatinous substance that works as a binder.
• Onion & garlic: sautéed together for a flavorful base.
• Carrots: you'll need to grate carrots for this recipe. We use a food processor attachment, but a regular box grater works well. Use a medium-large sized hole.
• Harissa paste: this spicy North African chili paste can be found at most grocery stores.
• All purpose flour: can use gluten free or regular.
• Breadcrumbs: can use gluten free or regular.
• Seasonings: salt, coconut sugar, cumin, paprika and lemon juice

Harissa Yogurt Sauce

Every fritter needs a good dipping sauce. This vegan harissa tahini yogurt sauce is SO. GOOD.

Our photos show just a dollop of sauce on top of each fritter, but in reality, I have a dollop with each bite 😉

The sauce is so easy to whip up. All you need is:

• Plain vegan yogurt (we used a cashew-based yogurt but almond, coconut or oat all work well)
• Tahini
• Harissa paste
• Salt, cumin, coconut sugar and lemon juice

Simply whisk everything together until smooth and creamy. It's also fantastic as a dipping sauce for these sweet potato fries!

Instructions

COOK QUINOA AND LENTILS: Cook quinoa and lentils in 1 cup of vegetable broth according to package directions until tender. They cook at the same rate, so you can cook them together!

MAKE FLAX "EGG": Stir together flax meal and water and let sit for 15 minutes. This works as a binder (like regular egg!) and it's essential to keep the fritters together. Read more about flax eggs here.

MAKE BATTER: Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until softened (2-3 minutes). 

Grate carrots and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add in cooked quinoa/lentils, onion/garlic mixture, harissa paste, flax meal and lemon juice and stir well. 

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, breadcrumbs, salt, sugar, cumin and paprika. Add to wet mixture and stir well to combine. (It's easiest to use your hands to make sure everything gets really well incorporated!)

Let mixture sit for 20 minutes. The mixture needs a bit of time to soak up the liquid, otherwise they may fall apart in the pan. (See what it should look like below.)

PAN-FRY FRITTERS: Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and a little olive oil. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to measure out the batter for each fritter. Flatten each patty using your hands and pan fry until crispy on both sides (4-5 minutes on each side). 

MAKE SAUCE AND SERVE: While the fritters are cooking, whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth. Serve fritters hot or cold with sauce. Enjoy!

How to serve fritters

Make your fritters a bit smaller and serve them as a quick, two-bite appetizer with a dollop of yogurt sauce on top. They're delicious served hot or cold!

Alternatively, serve them up on a platter as a side dish with a bowl of sauce on the side.

And, of course, you can always enjoy them as a meal on their own! They're extra delicious served with a light side salad.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can store the sauce a bit longer (up to a week), just be sure to whisk well before serving!

These fritters actually taste great cold. However, if you'd prefer to reheat, we suggest doing so in a skillet with a bit of oil so they don't get soggy!

More side dishes you'll love:

• Harissa Roasted Carrots with Toasted Hazelnuts and Pomegranate
• Crispy Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
• Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
• Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

If you give these vegan carrot fritters a try, we’d love for you to leave a rating and review below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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📖 Recipe