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side view of stack of vegan zucchini fritters on a plate

Vegan Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Cashew Cream


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  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 6-8 fritters 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These Vegan Zucchini Fritters drizzled with dairy-free Lemon Cashew Cream sauce are a delicious way to enjoy your summer bumper crop of zucchini and basil for a satisfying vegan side.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Lemon Cashew Cream:

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour and up to 4 (the longer the better)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp white miso paste
  • You may need ¼ cup cashew soaking water or more, to blend

For the Zucchini Fritters:

  • 4 cups grated zucchini
  • 3 tbsp scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp basil, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup plain gluten free regular or panko style bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt plus 1/2 tsp more to season mixture
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil for cooking

Instructions

For the Lemon Cashew Cream:

  1. Drain the cashews, reserving soaking water in case you need it to blend the sauce. 
  2. Combine the cashes, garlic, all the lemon zest, juice from one lemon, salt, and miso in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding cashew soaking water one tablespoon at a time if necessary to achieve a creamy sauce.  

To make the fritters:

  1. Grate zucchini. Place in a mesh colander inside a bowl and toss well with 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Let sit for about 35 minutes. Be sure to toss and squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini 3-4 times while it is sitting. (The zucchini will release a lot of moisture!) After 35 minutes, transfer zucchini to a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much remaining moisture as possible.
  2. While the zucchini is sitting, mix together the flour, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp of salt, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp of pepper.
  3. Add flax meal to a bowl with water, stir and let sit for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice.
  4. Add zucchini to a bowl with scallions and basil. Mix well, then add in all of the dry ingredients. Add flax + water mixture and mix well. Let mixture sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes so the flax egg has some time to bind the mixture together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired.  
  5. Heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup so patties are the same size. Form into a ball in your hand and press flat, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cook for 4- 5 minutes on each side over medium heat, until golden brown and crispy.

Notes

Make sure to remove as much moisture as possible from the zucchini – this is what makes them crispy.

  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Pan Fried
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Fritter with cream
  • Calories: 195
  • Sugar: 3.6 g
  • Sodium: 448.8 mg
  • Fat: 12.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16.3 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 6.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg