Vegan Black Eyed Pea-Spinach Cakes with Vegan Sundried Tomato and Caper "Tartar" Sauce

Yield: 12 main dish cakes, 24 appetizer or 36 hors d'oeuvres portions

At Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Tina, and I made Vegan Thai Corn Fritters that were a big hit. Ever since, I've wanted to try the same basic method using other vegetables and legumes. So, when I saw a vacuum sealed box of seasoned and cooked black eyed peas in the grocery store, this southern girl knew just what she'd do with them. And, boy, am I glad I did.

Though fried in canola oil, these hearty and colorful cakes are otherwise nutritional powerhouses and lip-smacking good. Black eyed peas, fresh spinach, red bell pepper, green onion, parsley and seasonings are bound together by pureed tofu and a mixture of flour and panko bread crumbs for a little crunch.

The tangy sundried tomato and caper-studded mayo is just the right creamy kick to set complement the cakes' creamy-chewy-crispy goodness. Garnished with parsley, grape tomatoes and lemon slices, they are pretty as a picture, don't you think?

I hope you enjoy this sanitized version of southern soul food.


Make the sauce first so that flavors can marry:

Vegan Sundried Tomato "Tartar" Sauce

1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
squirt of fresh lemon juice
3 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained

In a small cup or bowl, stir all ingredients together and set aside to allow flavors to marry while making cakes.


Vegan Black Eyed Pea-Spinach Cakes

Canola oil (poured to depth of approximately 3/4-inch in a large cast iron skillet)
1-12 box firm Silken tofu
1 cup of finely chopped fresh baby spinach (about 3-4 cups processed in food processor)
1 cup of parsley tops, minced in food processor (yields approximately 1/2 cup)
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped in food processor
8 green onions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
1 3/4-2 cups black eyed peas, drained of any juice
1 cup flour
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sweet smoky paprika (not hot)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh, minced)
Pinch garlic powder
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: Vegan Sundried Tomato "Tartar" Sauce, parsley sprigs, lemon slices, and halved grape tomatoes

Preheat oven to warm. In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process tofu until smooth, then scrape into a medium size mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir just until well combined. For main dish portions, use an ice cream scoop to spoon four mounds of the mixture into the oil, flattening the tops of each to make a one-inch thick cake. (To make appetizer or hors d'oevres portions, adjust size accordingly.) Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown. (If cakes become fairly dark brown in just 2 minutes, temperature is too hot.) Gently flip and cook approximately 2 more minutes or until golden brown on second side. Place on a paper-towel lined platter in the warm oven. Remove paper towel before garnishing as desired. Serve warm.