I first saw a recipe similar to these Vegan Spinach and Brown Rice Cakes in Woman’s Day magazine. Of course, I had to figure out how to veganize it and decided on vegan mayonnaise which ended up working perfectly! These savory little bites paired well with vegan sour cream but you could also use salsa or Sriracha…the options are endless. Let me show you how I made them.
How to make Vegan Spinach and Brown Rice Cakes
The first step is cooking the onions in a bit of oil until they are translucent. This usually takes about 5 minutes over medium high heat.
Chef’s TIP! The better the non-stick pan you have, the less oil you’ll need. In fact, I have found that I can saute with only water if I want with these T-fal hard anondized pans. It’s a specific line for T-fal and can be found on Amazon.com.
Once the onions are ready, add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn.
To that, add what will look like WAY too much spinach and stir until wilted.
All of that, cooks down to this. Crazy, right?
To save time, I pre-cooked my brown rice as it tends to take a bit. I did this the day before and just add it to warm it up again. This will help bring out those starches that assist in binding the cakes together.
I then add my vegan parmesan. As you may know, I’m a big fan of the stuff. There are so many options these days and even my mainstream grocery store carries it. It looks and performs just like traditional parmesan. This helps bind our cakes together rather than using a breadcrumb like Panko. That being said, if you don’t have the parm, Panko breadcrumbs would be the swap I would make here.
Lastly, 1 tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise. You could use any savory egg-replacer you’d like. Ground flax seed mixed with water and allowed to sit forms a gelatinous mixture that also works perfectly in this recipe. I use the Hellman’s brand of vegan mayo. It’s really thick and is the most like traditional mayo to me. Any brand will do 🙂
I use a cookie scoop to form compact balls that I then flatten into small discs.
Give these about 4-5 minutes on the first side or until golden. It’s easier to flip if you let them firm up on the first side adequately.
They should look like this. Allow to cook on the second side. Remove to a plate to allow them to cool a bit where they will continue to firm up even more. Salt them immediately fresh out of the pan so it sticks.
I served with wedges of lemon for squeezing and a size of vegan sour cream for dipping. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Looks yummy, doesn’t it? I love anything in “cake” or “patty” form.
Did you make my recipe for these Vegan Spinach and Brown Rice Cakes? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought.
Vegan Spinach and Brown Rice Cakes
Equipment
- Non Stick Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1/4 c Onion
- 1/4 tsp Garlic minced
- 2 handfuls Spinach
- 1 1/4 c Brown Rice cooked
- 1/4 c Vegan Parmesan
- 1 tbsp Vegan Mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
FOR SERVING:
- Parsley for garnish
- Lemon Wedges
- Vegan Sour Cream or Sriracha
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice. I did mine the day before to make things go quicker.
- In a saute pan, add oil and onion. Saute until translucent. Add garlic, Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
- Add the brown rice, vegan parmesan and vegan mayonnaise.
- Stir until well combined and allow to cool.
- Wipe out the pan and add more oil.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place mounds of the batter into the pan and flatten slightly with a spatula. Allow to brown on the first side before flipping. Brown the second side and remove to a plate to cool. They will continue to firm up.
- Serve cakes with vegan sour cream or Sriracha and lemon wedges. Garnish with fresh parsley.