I served the crab cakes wtih roasted asparagus, blue potatoes, and carrots.

Last fall, on a trip to Portland, I found a package of vegan imitation crab at Food Fight. Now I’ll stop right here and point out that “imitation crab” is very common, but typically is actually made from Pollock (another type of fish) so is obviously not vegan. This stuff can be found at your local vegan grocery (if you are lucky enough to have one) or some Asian supermarkets with a selection of imitation meat, or a few online stores like here. The stuff we got was shredded, so I decided that crab cakes was the obvious application. It was also an obvious choice as it would mask any textural issues with the imitation crab. I didn’t have any on hand, but Old Bay would be a natural addition. I doctored up a little vegenaise to serve with them as a lemon garlic aioli.

Vegan Crab Cakes

1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
9 oz package vegan shredded crab meat
1/3 cup Vegenaise
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 scallion, finally sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp urfa biber chile
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp pimenton
1 Tbsp vegan bacon bits
salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Garlic Aioli

1/2 cup vegenaise
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

To Make the Crab Cakes

Defrost crab if frozen. combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to incorporate. Scoop with a spoon or ice cream scoop and form into even patties, about 2 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour to firm up. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan, until lightly browned one each side. Drain briefly on paper towels before serving.

To Make the Aioli

Stir together ingredients, adjusting as necessary for taste and consistency.