Today I am sharing some recipe ideas for savory dishes, including these Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Croquettes. I serve them with a Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream (both recipes from LTEV). They are SO full of flavor, and I think these are perfectly suited to a dinner or brunch with vegan – or non-vegan – guests.
In fact, one of my readers told me “eating your black bean and quinoa croquettes with the chipotle cream sauce is what made me know that I could eat vegan, not only to be healthy, but eat vegan because it was so delicious and made me feel so fantastic!“. ♥
image credit: Hannah Kaminsky
Black Bean, Sweet Potato & Quinoa Croquettes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp water for saute
- 1 1/4 tsp cumin seed (not powder, use seed)
- 3/4 – 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 tbsp minced Serrano chile can use jalapeno or couple pinches crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic medium-sized
- 1 tsp dry oregano leaves
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt for saute
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (orange-fleshed), packed, skin removed
- 1 can (14 oz) black beans rinsed and drained, patted dry
- 1 1/2 cups precooked quinoa
- 1 tbsp ground chia
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 – 1 tsp lime zest
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro optional
- Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream for serving
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the water. Add the cumin seeds and cook for a minute or two, stirring. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, chopped chile, garlic, oregano, allspice, 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper to taste, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until onion is very soft (be sure to lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown, so it doesn’t burn and develop a bitter taste). Once the onion is soft, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (except the coconut oil for panfrying and Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream) and mix well. At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture until ready to fry (refrigerating for at least 30 minutes will make it firmer and easier to shape). Take scoops of the mixture and form into small patties with your hands. These are not firm patties; they will be soft and more delicate, so simply shape in relatively neat patties, repeating until you have used all of the mixture. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the patties and fry for 6 to 9 minutes on each side, until golden and a crust has developed, flipping them over only once or twice (the second side will cook quicker than the first), working in batches, if necessary. Serve with a generous drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream.
Notes
- When cooking grains such as quinoa, it is helpful to cook extra so that you have leftovers refrigerated for another day. One cup of dried quinoa yields roughly 3 cups cooked. Using cooled precooked quinoa also helps with forming the croquettes, as freshly cooked quinoa is moist and can make the patties too wet. So, cook your quinoa in advance, and refrigerate until ready to prep this recipe.
- Some of my readers enjoy this mixture eaten straight up, almost like a hash with the cream drizzled over top, rather than fussing shaping the mix into patties – give it a try!
- Cook the sweet potatoes in advance by baking whole. Simply place one or two sweet potatoes (depending on size) on a baking sheet lined with a little parchment paper (to catch drippings). Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until very soft when pierced with a knife or skewer.
- The ground white chia helps the patties hold together. They can be made without the chia, but will be a little fragile and more difficult to flip. If you use the chia, be sure to use ground, not whole, white chia.
- For kids, omit the chile in the sauté stage, and then before making the patties, remove a portion for your children. You can add the chile (raw, or cook it) or another spice to the remaining mixture to be served to the adults.
Pumpkin Seed Chipotle Cream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3 tbsp raw cashews
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice or lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
- 3/4 cup plain non-dairy milk (+ 1 tbsp)
- 1/2 – 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 – 1 tsp chipotle hot sauce adjust to taste
Instructions
- Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients. If using a immersion blender, start on low speed and then work up to a high speed to finish blending (it will take several minutes of high blending to achieve a smooth consistency). Puree until very, very smooth, adding more milk or water to smooth out and thin, as desired. Be sure to blend this sauce long enough for it to become creamy smooth. Add additional Dijon and/or chipotle hot sauce to taste. This sauce is fairly thick while pureeing and will thicken with refrigeration. To use as a dip, simply make ahead and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving. If you prefer a thinner consistency, stir in extra milk or a touch of water.
Notes
Now for some other savory recipe ideas for Easter:
Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Phyllo Rolls with Maple Balsamic Sauce
Boulangerie Potatoes with Sauteed Fennel and White Beans – this dish almost melts in your mouth! The beans and fennel become buttery and soft, it is really a delicious, special entree. On page 116 of Let Them Eat Vegan.
Moroccan Bean Stew – try serving this with my Kale-Slaw and some crusty bread. I did for a casual holiday dinner last year, and it was a great hit!
Freeform Tomato Tart with “Goat Cheese” and Basil from Ricki Heller
Lightened Up Spring Stuffing from Angela Liddon
Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Cakes with Pumpkin Pesto from Christy Morgan
Bow Tie Pasta Primavera with Avocado Pesto from Kathy Patalsky
Vegan Avgolemono (Greek Easter Soup with Lemon) from Gena Hamshaw
Jackfruit and Sweet Potato Enchiladas from JL Fields
Socca with Kale Pesto from Nicole Axworthy
Have you tried these vegan croquettes from LTEV yet? What are Easter menu plans? Do you have a fabulous recipe to share? If so, add the link!
heidi says
I just had to jump on here and give you a big thank you for this recipe! Our kids rated it a 10 last night, and this is high praise! At first they had the barbeque sauce out, but after a little cajoling to at least *try* it, they ended up slathering each patty with the cream sauce. …As long as you’ve premade the quinoa and sweet potatoes, it comes together pretty quickly. (I don’t know what it is with me, though–plant-based cooking like this always results in an extra-messy kitchen! Oh well.) Thanks again for all of the great recipes. We make the oat snackles a few times a week too. My family appreciates your work! 🙂
Dreena says
Thank you so much Heidi! I’m impressed that your kiddos ate it up, our girls give me a hard time about the spices, esp whole seeds! And YES, the key is to have the quinoa/sweet potatoes batched in the fridge. I tend to cook extra potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc when I make them so I have those things for working into other dishes – really saves time! Delighted for the feedback, thank you!!
Ricki says
Just catching up with my blog reading and HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THESE?! They look amazing. And thanks so much for linking to my tomato tart! 🙂 Hope you and yours have a very Happy Easter, Dreena! xo
Dreena says
Most welcome, Ricki, that tart is a masterpiece! Hope you had a lovely Easter… hugs!
Richa says
i agree with your reader.. all those flavors and textures are a definite winner! i need to make these on the weekend!
Dreena says
cool, hope you do make them Richa… and your latest blog post sounds crazy delicious – going to link through now for a read! 🙂
Dreena says
Ha, happy to give you a kick in the pants, Rebecca. 😉 They can be cooked and then even lightly reheated. I think the flavor is best warm, but for sure you could cook and then reheat slightly when read to eat. Also, it makes a good filling for wraps/burritos with the cream over top!
Rebecca Stucki says
I love that you keep publishing these recipes I haven’t gotten to yet! Gives me a kick in the pants! Do you recommend cooking these right before serving or are they just as good served cold?