Cheezy Broccoli Fritters

Fabulous Fritters. Fabulous Fritters. Fabulous Fritters. (Go on, say that three times fast.)

These Cheezy Broccoli Bean Fritters are tender and moist on the inside, crisp crumbly crust on the outside. They kinda actually melt in your mouth. And I don’t usually say that about broccoli.

The bright green broccoli is rustic and hearty, yet minced into tiny velvety bits that caramelize as they cook. Nutty nutritional yeast, bright cider vinegar and savory vegan cheese in each cozy bite. Crave the broccoli and “cheese” flavor – a classically awesome combo. Grab this recipe…

Healthy Fritters! The power-food combo of beans and broccoli makes these cute little fritters quite filling and nutritious!

My fabulous fritter kick continues. Actually, you could call it a fritter, croquette and cake kick. It all started with these addictively yummy Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters. And then I rolled out these Cheesy Pumpkin Chickpea Veggie Sunflower Seed Croquettes – tender and amazing. And today I took a break from pumpkin (I know, I know, why would I want to do that?) and tried some broccoli fritters. I loved them! Delicious way to get a hearty serving of healthy broccoli.

Ingredients Note: Many of you have asked about nutritional yeast. Get my Nutritional Yeast 101 here. You can find at most health/natural grocery stores including Whole Foods. They even have a 365 brand version. I like Kal brand and you can buy online at e-stores like One Lucky Duck.

For the hemp seeds, the same is true – Whole Foods carries them.

Substitutions? You can add more vegan cheese in place of the nutritional yeast for flavor. And you can sub the hemp seeds with sunflower. Add in some flour to dry out the mixture if you you are not using nutritional yeast (but really, it ROCKS! So try to find some or buy online. It will change your life and food. It will!)

Cheezy Broccoli Bean Fritters
vegan, makes 7-9 fritters

4 cups minced broccoli (from whole florets)
1 1/2 cups cannellini beans, drained from one can
1/4 cup vegan Monterey Jack (or cheddar) cheese shreds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

for frying: 1/4 cup safflower oil
bread crumb coating: panko or fine plain bread crumbs

To Make:

1. Mince florets in a Vitamix or food processor until finely chopped into flaky bits. I used one medium head of broccoli – mostly the florets and a few stems.

2. Add the beans and minced/chopped broccoli to a large mixing bowl. With a large fork or potato masher, mash the beans until at least 75% of them have been mashed together with the broccoli.

3. Add in the garlic powder, apple cider, hemp seeds, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, s and p. Fold in the vegan cheese. Fold together until a moist mixture forms.

4. Preheat a few tablespoons of safflower oil in a large skillet.

5. When the oil is hot, for the mixture into golf ball sized balls and roll in the bread crumbs until well covered – pat down into flatter cakes and place in the hot oil – carefully.

6. Continue until the pan is full – leave about an inch space between each cake for easier flipping. Cook on each side only about 2 minutes – or until toasty brown.

7. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel to cool. Serve in about 5 minutes after cooling a bit.

*Store in the fridge and reheat in the oven if desired. You can freeze as well. However, these fritters are best hot off the skillet!

And for those of you who tried my Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters, check out what happens when you add in extra pumpkin, use fine bread crumbs instead of Panko, and light fry. Here is the result (softer, cake like patties – yum too!)..