When I went vegan … wow, over 6 years ago now, I thought seafood was going to be the toughest to give up. But jeez, watch some of these disturbing seafood videos on NutritionFacts.org and it’s not so hard! Especially when vegan alternatives keep getting more amazing. Hubby was a crab cake fan before going vegan and missed them a bit. So I was excited when we stumbled across Gardein’s Mini Crispy Crabless Cakes at Whole Foods – what a time!
This isn’t something we eat every day, just a fun occasional splurge and these were fun for a Monday night. Cooking stove top is simple and quick.
He paired them with his vegan tartar creation mixing Just Mayo with relish – yum!
I was very impressed with the texture and flavor, eerily authentic to what I remember crab cakes being like and delicious with a crunchy texture, visible colorful veggie chunks inside, and a hearty “meaty” texture. Worth a try if you want a fun splurge because they’re considerably low calorie too.
Of course I paired it with a kale salad and a new hemp seed dressing using my two current ingredient obsessions – raw garlic and fennel seed. This dressing has a lengthy ingredient list, but is worth it for it’s bright, creamy, and comforting flavor. And feel free to increase the garlic if you’re into that!
Creamy Ginger Garlic Dressing
- 1” think chunk of raw ginger
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup shelled hemp seeds
- 1 clove of raw garlic
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- ½ tsp. fennel seed
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water, as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend to a smooth and creamy texture. Serve and enjoy! Makes 2-4 servings.
The texture is thick, creamy, and rich – perfect for coating kale.
It has a tangy and kicky tahini flavor with garlic heat.
Great way to brighten up a drab weeknight dinner!
Have you tried Gardein’s Crabless Cakes?
This dressing sounds yummy, it has everything I love!
Thanks! Perfect for a hearty salad!
Looks and sounds amazing!!!!!
Thanks! I’m obsessed with raw garlic and the health benefits, trying to use it more!
I found their breaded “fish” fillets at my supermarket yesterday so I made tacos last night. I was shocked! They tasted so much like fish that I actually couldn’t eat them. I’ve completely lost my taste for it. My husband liked them though. I will try the crab cakes because I used to love them. Thanks!
I was shocked by those fish fillets too, perfect for “fish” tacos! The crabless cakes have more of a veggie texture with creamy filling and aren’t so “meaty”.
wow that dressing looks incredible!
i gave up meat when i was 13 years old, and have wanted to give up seafood for a while because of over fishing and all of that. however i know i dont get enough protein as it is with the amount that i work out.
Definitely will try to substitute some of my seafood dishes with meatless options like those crab cakes! they look like the real deal
Thanks! Protein is a concern, but you can get enough on a plant based diet. I love adding a blend of plant-based protein powders to breakfast smoothies and tempeh is amazing for protein in stir fries and chopped up into salads.
The dressing sounds delicious. I find that one of the most important things is keeping vegan meals interesting with sauces and dressings. I’m adding this to the rotation!
Very true, sauce can do wonders for healthy fruits and veggies and it’s why salad dressings are my favorite recipes to create.
i love the dressing! i am starting to get into making ore elaborate dressings at home. i cant handle raw garlic (give me an upset stomach), so i think i’ll replace it with several cloves of roasted garlic. i know it doesnt have the same benefits, but it tastes good! haha.
oh what else did you put in the kale salad?!
Raw garlic takes some getting used to, I think I built up a tolerance over time! :-) For the salad, carrots, mixed greens, vegan bacon bits, and sliced sweet peppers.