Kale and Quinoa Cakes
Golden pan-fried Kale and Quinoa Cakes are crunchy vegetarian patties that are insanely delicious and nutritious! They are easy, customizable and freezer-friendly- the ideal meal to add to your weekly lunch or dinner rotation.
This recipe was once a favorite of my clients when I worked as a personal chef, and I am super excited to be sharing it here! Aside from making quinoa crackers, these golden veggie fritters are one of the best ways to use up left-over quinoa and turn them into crunchy golden bites.
Packed with grains and green leafy vegetables, these Kale and Quinoa Cakes let you eat a healthier lunch or dinner with your family- even the fussiest eater will love them!
Why This Recipe Works
- Just a bowl, a pan and 20 minutes needed to make.
- Can be made ahead and frozen for easy healthy meals.
- Kid-friendly, vegetarian and gluten-free.
Ingredient Notes
- Kale - use fresh kales that have brightly colored, plump and crisp leaves. You can use other greens like Swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, or collard greens.
- Quinoa - I use cooked seasoned quinoa for this recipe. If the quinoa you're using hasn't been salted, you will want to up the amount to one whole teaspoon. Possible alternatives are rice, millet, barley, farro, couscous and buckwheat.
- Breadcrumbs - these will make the quinoa kale cakes crunchy and golden as well as aid in holding the ingredients together. I use Panko when making mine, but other brands are fine too.
- Egg - this is used as a binding agent for this recipe and will keep the cakes intact as they cook.
- Parsley - this adds a fresh peppery taste and color to the dish.
*Full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card.
Helpful Equipment
- Large non-stick pan or cast iron skillet – this will allow you to flip the cakes around easily preventing them from burning.
- Wire rack - placing the fried patties here will drain any excess oil resulting in a crunchier texture.
Step by step instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and begin to sweat out the onions and garlic. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Once they’ve softened up a bit (about 3 minutes) add in the kale. Cook for a few more minutes while tossing around until the kale is wilted down. Pull the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool down.
- In a medium bowl combine the quinoa, parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs, and cooled vegetables until mixed together really well.
- Split the mixture into 8 even portions and form each one into a compact, slightly flattened disc.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saute pan and gently drop in half of the cakes. Use a spatula to press them down and maneuver the sides to help form them into patties. After a few minutes, check to see if the bottoms have browned, and when they are nice and golden, flip them over.
- Cook the other side until browned, and remove to drain on a rack or paper towels. Repeat with the remaining cakes.
Tips For Success
- Overcooking the kale makes them mushy and loses nutrients. Remove from heat once it looks wilted but still intact.
- If the patties are too soft or wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs to make them firmer.
- Let the patties cook undisturbed for a few minutes before flipping them over. This will prevent them from falling apart in the pan.
- Leave enough space in between each patty in the pan so they do not overlap when you press them down. This will also allow them to turn crisp and golden on the bottom and sides.
Serving Suggestions
- For a substantial meal, serve these veggie cakes with fresh salad or soup on the side. My favorite is this clam chowder recipe!
- You can also tuck them inside a fluffy bun and stack them with tomatoes, onions and lettuce to make a hearty sandwich.
- If you are serving them as appetizers, you can add a dollop of guacamole, sour cream, yogurt or tzatziki sauce on top, or serve with your favorite sauce, like marinara sauce, or a little homemade hot sauce on the side.
- They're also delicious drizzled with garlic honey!
FAQ
It can be because the quinoa is too wet or the cooked vegetables have too much moisture in them. You also have to make sure that the oil is hot enough not to seep into the patties.
Yes, you can omit the eggs and use flax eggs instead. Just give the mixture about 10-15 minutes to firm up in the refrigerator before forming them into patties. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal or ground up flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before adding to the recipe. Use one flax egg for each egg in the recipe.
Absolutely! Once cool, wrap them up tight and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months. They reheat very well in a toaster oven.
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Kale & Quinoa Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (plus ¼ cup) olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½-1 teaspoon of salt* see note
- black pepper to taste
- 1 large bunch kale finely chopped
- 3 cups cooked quinoa from about 1 cup dry
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs I used panko, but it doesn't matter
- 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and begin to sweat out the onions and garlic. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper, and once they’ve softened up at bit (about 3 minutes) add in the kale. Cook for a few more minutes while tossing around until the kale is wilted down. Pull the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool down.
- In a medium bowl combine the quinoa, parsley, eggs, breadcrumbs, and cooled vegetables. Mix everything together really well, then split the mixture into 8 even portions and form each one into a compact, slightly flattened disc.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saute pan and gently drop in half of the cakes. Use a spatula to press them down and maneuver the sides to help form them into patties. After a few minutes, check to see if the bottoms have browned, and when they are nice and golden, flip them over. Cook the other side until browned, and remove to drain on a rack or paper towels. Repeat with the remaining cakes.
Notes
- The amount of salt needed will depend on whether or not your quinoa is seasoned already. Taste and adjust as needed.
- To serve as an appetizer, just form into much smaller patties and keep warm in a low oven before serving.
- Other greens or grains may be substituted for the kale and quinoa - try these with rice, millet, barley, farro, buckwheat, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, etc.
- If the patties are too soft or wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs to make them firmer
- Let the patties cook undisturbed for a few minutes before flipping them over. This will prevent them from falling apart in the pan.
- Leave enough space in between each patty in the pan so they do not overlap when you press them down. This will also allow them to turn crisp and golden on the bottom and sides.
- These freeze beautifully. Once cool, wrap them up tight and freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. The reheat very well in a toaster oven.
Nutrition
Hi
Cole, I made the kale and quinoa cakes so good! I did add some of your honey garlic mixture to the second set of 4 I made, tasty :0
Yay!! SO happy you loved them, Mina!
Do you have any thoughts on how to bind these without eggs? I need to be vegan for health reasons.
You can substitute the eggs for flax eggs and it will work, just give the mixture about 10-15 minutes to firm up in the refrigerator before forming them into patties. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal or ground up flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before adding to the recipe. Use one flax egg for each egg in the recipe. Hope this helps!