These are the most awesome fritters ever. Golden, crispy, ‘cheesy’, and flavoursome to the hilt.
The zucchinis themselves were amongst the best I had ever tasted in my life, so I wanted to make something rather special, where the taste could be savoured and celebrated at the same time. Something Mediterranean, and full of flavour, which I would serve alongside locally grown, organic roast potatoes.
So, having now conjured up an amazing appetite, all that was really needed was the juice of a fresh lemon, some sea salt and some ground pepper. Mmmmmm, the flavours – these are a ‘must make again’ number.
NOTE : These fritters are NOT dense in texture, but are mouthwatering in taste !
Serves 3 to 4
INGREDIENTS
4 regular/medium zucchini (about 1¼lb /½kg), shredded/grated (squeeze the mixture and dry with a towel to remove any excess water)
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 cup firm tofu
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups dried breadcrumbs
salt to taste
1 cup grated vegan cheese of your choice
1 – 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (can be found in most health stores)
METHOD
Process your tofu, flour, grated cheese, salt, parsley in your food processor, and taste for salt. Blend until a little smooth, but it must remain thickish, and a little chunky.
Meanwhile, place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Then spoon in the contents of your processor, and, using clean hands, give them a good mix, making sure that all gets well blended. It will feel thick because of the zucchini, but that’s fine.
Heat up some oil in a non-stick pan, and with a large spoon, spoon in individual size portions and fry them – make them whatever size you desire.
Remove from the pan when they are golden on both sides, and transfer them to a grease-proof oven dish. Place them in a medium hot oven 350ºF (175ºC) for 15 minutes or so, and serve with a salad, and roast potatoes, if you wish.
Squeeze lemon on the lot, and Enjoy !
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
Miriam, these look AMAZING! I love finding cheesy vegan recipes, and find them the bravest of the endeavours. I look forward to trying these!
One question: Did processing your zucchini not make the mash overly watery? That’s always my concern with the processor.
Thank you!
erica
Going to try these tonight. Hubby wanted something vegan for dinner. Did not know what to make. This is perfect. Will let you know how it goes. PS. He wants vegan for dinner and it is not even Monday. I will have him switched over sooner than later. lol
Are you using tofu in the flour mix as an egg replacer?
Looks delicious,already put the cashews in a bowl of water for your VEGAN mozarrella cheese.Tommorow evening its gonna be frittertime !!
Fantastic Elza and let me know how it all goes when you’re done ! 🙂 Hope you enjoy these too ! If you ever attempt my mature cheddar cheese, kindly double the agar powder on the recipe, please pencil this in for future reference, as the note to that effect was not included in the book for some reason. Enjoy !
Yes and no Maria, it is a good binder, but I have used it also for good texture too ! Let me know how it goes if you are making them. 🙂
That’s awesome news Sherrie ! Glad to hear. Be sure to serve these with either roast potatoes and salad, so that you vary the textures – and your hubby (like mine) will enjoy the overall treat all the more ! 🙂
Erica Hi there. The zucchini can be hand grated or processed into large shreds. These fritters are by no means dense, they are a little on the soft side (without egg it is inevitable, but they work just the same without it), with a little crustiness on the outside. Do bake them for further crustiness if you wish. Let me know how they go and enjoy ! 🙂
I thought I’d add in that if anyone is trying to avoid soya, I’ve just discovered Burmese tofu, made from gram (chickpea) flour. Easy to make at home, rather like polenta, and works very well.
Is there a substitute for flour? Non gluten?
Thanks there Robert.
Giorgos one can use a gluten free flour mix sold in most health food stores or tapioca powder and cornstarch would work. 🙂
Totally delicious. I think that I picked zucchinis that were too big. So, I doubled the tofu, cheese mixture. I had trouble cooking them as they were too soft. Hubby took over, jacked up the heat a little higher than I had them. We had them with batara harra and some tabbouleh salad. Was a nice light dinner. Thanks again. Very yummy mixture.
Sherrie Hi and so glad you enjoyed them. They are a little soft in the pan, but their texture somewhat densifies in the heat. Enjoy them again and again with different salads ! Best your way ! 🙂
Hi Miriam, will be trying these for sure. Received your book in the mail yesterday and I LOVE it. So happy to have cheese recipes, have already made the Mild Cheddar and will use it in these fritters. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your fantastic book.
Annie 🙂
Annie Hi there and thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I look forward to your feedback on my blog on this recipe. Meantime, if you like my book, I would love an amazon review from you. Thanks and cheers !
You could also try squeezing some of the water from the zucchini! They’re still a bit soft but not quite as delicate in the pan.
Dani Hi, it’s odd that although the pre-cooked texture is soft, once they are cooked and baked they appear to firm up enough to be in one piece, although they are still a little tender – they are also great cold the next day, and more solid and taste super dipped in vegan mayonnaise. 🙂
at what temperature are they to be put in the oven for 15 minutes?
Hi Dr Schoen – I would say a medium to high setting around 175 C will do which is 350 F – hope this helps.
Hi
Just received yer book Mouthwatering Vegan. An excellent, fantastic, stupendous book from all angles. I know a good book when I see one (Ive got more than 2 thou in me libraries). Also the photographs are mouthwatering on their own! An A1 job there.
Now for the final part re autographing it (no did not forget ha ha).
Joe Hi, that’s awesome news ! Could I ask you to copy and paste your comment on Amazon where you bought it from, all you have to do is go to amazon and where it says ‘write a review’ you may use your words above. I am so thrilled for you. Regarding the autraph/signing I will sort something out soon ! (there may be a book launch, in which case I will let you know and invite you to attend). 🙂
OK please do. Re the review ASAP.
Thanks Joe. The launch is still to be confirmed, so will let you know if anything is confirmed as and when. Also thank you for your kind Amazon review. 🙂
This recipe looks fabulous! But I don’t have a food processor. Is there any way it could be made using a regular blender?
Barb Hi there. If I were you I would use a hand grater for the zucchini, grate it on the large side of the grater, where it comes out in large shreds, then use your blender to make the breadcrumbs, be sure to use bread that is not fresh otherwise your blender may not be able to manaage this. The rest can be done by hand – place all the ingredients in a large bowl and continue to follow the recipe. Hope you enjoy it, let me know how it goes. Cheers your way in the meantime ! 🙂
I’ve just been over to Amazon to order your book. Can’t wait till it gets here (to Australia).
Sharon dear, be sure to let me know when it reaches you and what you think ! (make a note in advance to double the amount of agar powder in the Mature Cheddar Cheese recipe, the reason being that the revised version did not reach my publishers in time, so pencil that in when it reaches you). There are many recipes to choose from so you will hopefully enjoy it ! 🙂
Hi Miriam
I love reading your blog and every recipe I have tried we have really enjoyed – thankyou. I was on the point of ordering your book but read somewhere that all the recipes are in cups not in weights – is that correct? Can’t find the place I read the comment now. All the reviews are fantastic so it must be a great book.
Thanks
Gloria
Gloria Hi – thanks for dropping by here with your comment/enquiry. Many people in the UK are buying my book (as you will also see from the UK amazon reviews) – firstly cup measurements are the easiest to follow once one has a cup measuring set – however, I have also the measurements in metric for those who prefer that, to give you an example of an ingredient I say in my book – 4 cups (1 litre) of vegetable stock – so you have both choices. 🙂
Gosh darn it mine didn’t really work out well. I must have done something wrong. They were too mushy and didn’t brown in the pan. I even pressed out the zucchini and tofu before using. Any suggestions?
Hi Miriam
Thanks for your quick reply – I prefer working in metric for some reason. Am going to order book on Amazon now.
Thanks
Gloria
I am considering making this with beetroot….yummy
Let me know how it goes if so, and enjoy Ruth ! 🙂
I understand dear Gloria, and that is why I included it, many people in Europe prefer it too. Enjoy and let me know when the book has reached you ! Kindest wishes your way in the meantime ! 🙂
Hi Julia, it’s possible that you had a little too much oil – you must let the oil heat up – next be sure to bake them until golden on grease proof paper, but bear in mind these beauties are tender and not hard or dense in any case – the flavours are wonderful ! Best your way !
Just a question from someone’s comment about measurements in the book being cups….is that 250 mils for a cup (don’t know if British and Australian measurements are the same e.g 1 tablespoon = 4 teaspoons) and 1 cup = 250 mils?
Everything you have stated is correct dear Sharon, so Yes, these equivalents are right. 🙂
These were delish! I did have to add about 1/4 c more breadcrumbs, because the first ones I made just weren’t holding together. I will definitely squeeze the water out of the zucchini next time. But so good! I ate more than I am willing to admit last night for dinner, and another 2 just now for lunch. 🙂
Hi Robin so glad you made and enjoyed these. I made them for the 3rd time and did add more breadcrumbs too, so have revised the recipe to help others. They are sublime and hope you enjoy them for a long time to come. Cheers ! 🙂
Delicious! We scarfed them right down. Even my teenage son liked them and he automatically hates anything vegan (sigh)
Mary Hi, that’s awesome news, so glad your son enjoyed them too ! I look forward to your future comments and feedback on my blog ! Enjoy ! 🙂
Hi
I am new to this site and keen to try this and other recipes. Is there a printer friendly version please?
Thanks 🙂
One word! “Delicious.” I made this last weekend for my Mom and it was very good. She loves it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
That is awesome news dear Lily, so glad you dear mom enjoyed these ! Best your way and look forward to your future comments and feedback here. XX
Julie Hi am so glad you found my site. Sorry I do not have a printer friendly facility at present. Hope you enjoy my recipes. Best your way ! 🙂
Delicious!!! We made them for guests who absolutely raved about them. We served them with a Roast Pear Salad/Chocolate Balsamic Glaze. It was a beautiful meal.
LOVE – LOVE – LOVE the cookbook!!!!!!!!!!
Harley
Delicious! Just had these for lunch. Made them with frozen spinach as our courgettes haven’t grown yet, and didn’t cook them in the oven (as I only saw that instruction after we had eaten them!) but they are really lovely and light. And I have 2 left over to try cold. Will definitely make these again. Thanks 🙂
That’s super great to know Lauri. In fact they would also taste good cold with freshly squeezed lemon on top and a salad ! 🙂
I used a potato ricer (like a large garlic press) to squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini. Really helped dry out the fritters so they were nice and brown. I use this technique when I am making potato pancakes, too. I am making these again this week. We loved them last week! Thanks again
Mary Hi there. Could you explain to me how the ricer would have gotten rid of the liquid Mary ? I thought it was a little like a mincer, so where would the juice go, and am i right in saying you use it on the raw zucchini ? Would be good to know if so. Thanks so much in advance, and so pleased you enjoyed this dish and will be making it again. Cheers ! 🙂
I had a lot of trouble with these. I squeezed as much water as possible out of the zucchini before starting but still, they remained so soft in the pan, I had much difficulty turning them over. I had the heat up to 8 on a 10-point scale so the pan was very hot. I used very little oil as I try to stay as oil free as possible, and even though they were golden brown as described, every time I went under one with a spatula, it broke open and stuck to the implement. I kept washing and oiling the spatula between fritters. After baking – left them in for 35 minutes at 375 degrees – they were somewhat drier but still too soft. Ugh! So sorry! I must have done something wrong.
Mary dear Hi, So sorry to hear these did not work for you. They are not dense or hard fritters, most vegan patties, burgers or fritters are not as dense as non-vegan ones (made with eggs) but that said, we can bind them in a way that they hold together well. As a result of this we have to be more careful with our mixtures etc. The slightest little error can send everything off balance. I am going to recommend that you double your flour next time, use a little less tofu and add more breadcrumbs – that way this mixture will hold up better for you. Make a note of this, so that if it works for you you may repeat it in the future. As you can see from this recipe posts and comments, it has worked for others, so don’t loose hope. Best wishes your way. 🙂
Thank you, Miriam!
You’re welcome Mary. 🙂
These are delicious! I used the water I squeezed out of the zucchini in my garden quinoa risotto I ate with these. Such a good dinner! Thank you for this recipe!
That sounds perfect Sara, so glad you enjoyed them ! 🙂
i made this with gluten free flour and vegan cheese and it was out of this world! I did not have firm tofu so I used firm mori- nu instead.
Sounds perfect Sherie, thanks for letting me know ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
I have used your recipe a number of times and they have turned out very delicious .. First time around I experienced what other poster [ Mary ] wrote on 18 July, i.e., sticking to pan, etc. What I did was covering fritters with bread crumbs, so it created a soft shell and did not affect the look and taste of fritters.
I will try your suggestion to Mary as well …. This is a light, delicious and healthy recipe.
Thanks for your kind words dear Ali. One must remember with vegan cooking, since we don’t have the same bind quality that eggs achieve, every aspect of preparing food of this ilk, from how hot the pan is to how much oil we use, to when we turn the fritters etc all play an integral role in the outcome of our efforts/creations – therefore if this works better with breadcrumbs for you then go for that and Enjoy ! 🙂
Made this recipe for my vegan guests but I must have done something very wrong as they were all sloppy.
I wonder if I used the wrong type of tofu? My daughter said I used silken tofu. Was this the wrong sort please Miriam?
Next time, I will leave the grated courgettes draining in the fridge overnight and try to squeeze more liquid out of the tofu. Thank you.
My question to you a few hours ago seems to have vanished Miriam but have just ordered your book. Thank you
These were so good! Thank you so much for your hard work in the kitchen, I can’t wait until I receive your book in the mail! Even my carnivore husband loves your recipes : )
Amanda Hi – that’s awesome news ! Am delighted that you have ordered my book, enjoyed this recipe and that your non-vegan husband loves them too ! Be sure to let me know when it reaches you. Meantime make a note to enter into your book – the cheese section is at the back of my book – you are going to need to double the amount of agar powder for the Mature Cheddar, it’s also down to personal preferences with the other cheeses, just add more agar powder if you want a firmer finish – the reason being that the revised recipe and notes did not reach my publishers on time. 🙂
Jill Hi – not sure what happened with your previous question but will answer it for you. Firstly thanks for ordering my book ! 🙂
Jill Hi there. This is a little bit risky a recipe to make for the 1st time for guests especially – but you were not to know this. Vegan patties, fritters and burgers do not ‘enjoy’ the benefit of the undeniable binding qualities of a real egg, hence a little troubleshooting. That said, there are solutions to come to the rescue – the drier the ingredients the better. These fritters hold together but their texture is soft-ish which is fine because zucchini is not a hard veg and is quite water soluable. So dry the veg as best you can, dry the tofu, doesn’t really matter which one you choose, add a few more breadcrumbs and a little more plain flour to the mix. Use very little oil to fry on a non stick surface – use grated vegan cheese this will also help them better bind. Hope these tips help Jill. 🙂
Jill just a short note to say please pencil into your book to double the quantity of agar powder in the Mature Cheddar cheese and add up to 50% more agar powder for the other cheese/s – the revised recipes had not reached my publishers in time, so thought you might like to know this in advance of receiving the book in readiness to pencil this in. Cheers ! 🙂
Many thanks Miriam. I will def. be trying this recipe again with your tips. I recently made your Spicy Rice and Quinoa Bake with Layered Eggplant. I added some mushrooms in it too but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I split it into three portions, cooked one for myself (now eating – mmm lovely) and froze two portions uncooked for my vegan guests’ next visit. I wondered if they could be cooked from frozen but bearing in mind the risks from rice, I am not sure. I will probably thaw in the fridge before cooking well. Any advice would be gratefully received, thank you.
Jill Hi there and thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I don’t really see there being any problems either way, ie from frozen or fridge-thawed.
Would this be good w/ fresh corn cut off cob & use equal portions of zucchini?
Sharon Hi, If I were to add corn to this recipe, I would make sure it is pre-cooked and in terms of quantity, that’s up to you, just use your imagination or personal preference. I find corn to be ever so versatile. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes. (Remember these fritters are soft). Cheers ! 🙂
Hello! It’s your biggest fan from San Diego! So..I was deep into making these, when I noticed my veg cheese was not VEGAN!! I had think fast so I added some egg replacer and a ton of Nut yeast, I also added some veggie flakes for flavor. I served them a dill sauce from fava flour and coconut oil. My husband and non vegan son went crazy for them. Your book and blog have shown me a style of cooking that just fits with our tastes and lifestyle. It also give me ideas to try on my own from your basic premise.
Thank you so much!
Heather how very awesome of you to leave this wonderful comment, thanks a million, I appreciate it ! Meantime, am not sure if I told you that with regards to the Mature Cheddar Cheese in my book please double the amount of agar powder when making – the reason being that the revised recipe did not reach my publishers in time, so pencil this into the book – also remember if you love denser cheeses go ahead and add more agar powder (not the flakes) when wishing to melt any of my cheeses, add a drizzle of olive oil onto them before baking, grilling etc as it helps them break down so beautifully. 🙂 Meantime, if you haven’t already, I would soooo very much appreciate an amazon customer review from you if you could spare a couple of minutes for me. Your endeavours in the kitchen seem to be going a very long way – BRAVO ! 🙂
Thanks so much for the great recipe! I went looking for a recipe for vegan zucchini fritters because I have an amazing surplus of zucchini in the garden right now and am looking for things to do with it. Fortunately for me, yours was the first recipe that came up. These fritters are really delicious. 🙂
Edith Hi, I am so glad you found my site and thrilled you enjoyed these. Do stay tuned as I post up often and there is a great variety of dishes to choose from. I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
We just had these for dinner – minus cheese plus mint. Very nice but perhaps missing that cheese. Vegan cheese in Perth is expensive and very plastic.
Linda Hi there. I totally understand how you feel about unpleasant vegan cheese, it can taste like plastic or worse still soap, I have had both years ago and they are costly too. I make my own cheese Linda and I specialise in the taste – in my book I have published Mature Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mozzarella, parmesan and fondue – allow me to say, they taste fantastic (see amazon reviews or go to my Mouthwatering Vegan FB page and you may see a post or two of it there and also it melted on toast), the bonus being it is very easy to make. I am not suggesting you purchase my book but you will be able to create your own cheese with a preparation time of 20 minutes once your ingredients are out on the worktop – they are nut based cheeses. By the time you purchase half a dozen blocks of cheese that would be the cost of my book, quite apart from the fact that it is 304 pages in total and full of pics. Go to amazon.com and see the reviews. Otherwise I cannot really help further – but this cheese thing is a very important factor in vegan cuisine for many, especially since it is used in so many recipes and loved by all. Here is the link for you and hope you enjoy other recipes here from my blog too. Enjoy ! 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0449015653?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0449015653&linkCode=xm2&tag=mouthwvegan02-20
Made these tonight. Family LOVED them. Rich and fabulous. Thank you much.
That’s awesome dear Michelle, so glad you all loved them ! 🙂
hi Miriam
i have a question i got your book “Mouthwatering Vegan” and i would love to make your vegan milk and cheese but i only see at the stores rosted cashews… can i rosted ore do they have to be regular?
Christina Hi there thanks for dropping by here and for purchasing my book. The nuts have to be NOT roasted but regular in order to make my cheeses – also please double the amount of agar powder in the recipes for the cheese (mozzarella and both the cheddars) as the revised recipe did not reach my publishers in time, also be sure that when you are heating the mixture up that you keep it on the heat for a while mixing all the time so that the spoon you are using offers a little resistance – the reason for this is so that the agar breaks down properly. Remember the denser you want the cheese the more agar powder you need to use – the cheeses are all lovely and you will need to make the agar powder adjustment in order to have the texture you desire. Good luck and enjoy ! (you may need to order your cashews online). Best your way ! 🙂
Thank you verry much for the tips Miriam, I love cooking your recipes 🙂
You’re more than welcome there Christina ! 🙂
I cooked the fritters on a well-seasoned pizza stone in the oven in high heat – 400 degrees, to reduce the amount of oil in the recipe. They were delicious!
That sounds perfect Christina, as it would have also helped some of the moisture to dissipate. So glad you enjoyed them ! 🙂
I’ve made these 3X. My fam loves them.I made smaller ones for a buffet recently and baked them with a thin round of lemon on top of each – great presentation. They will be on the Christmas brunch table for sure. Thank you much!
Hi Michelle, so glad you made and enjoyed these several times. The buffet idea sounds awesome ! Enjoy them at Christmas brunch too ! Best your way in the meantime and hope you continue to enjoy the recipes on my blog ! 🙂
Just made these because I had a few extra squash on hand. They turned out AMAZING! Super easy to make. Thank you again for another great recipe!
Sarah Hi, so glad you made and enjoyed these fritters, that’s awesome news ! 🙂
Not sure what I did wrong, but these turned into a gloppy, nasty mess. They didn’t stay together at all. Considering the prep time and money for the ingredients, these were a huge disappointment. 🙁
Julie Hi there, I actually claim that these fritters are not dense (see claim under the recipe info). Many people have tried this recipe with success, some people prefer a denser fritter of course, others love them as they are – the flavour works. I am not sure what could have gone wrong with yours. I have doubled the breadcrumbs in the recipe, so that should help – also be sure to fry them in hot oil on both sides. Hope this works for you if you wish to make them again. 🙂
I made these today. They took a lot longer to make than I thought they would but I was trying to work out the measurements in grams and paused to make mayo halfway through (so much for getting lots of work done on my work from home day!). Tomorrow I will have them like burgers in bread with mayo, tomato and fresh beetroot – yum! Has anyone tried them with white breadcrumbs? I expect the taste would be different than when using brown breadcrumbs. I made 8 large fritters which I wasn’t expecting so I’ll have to have tower burgers!
Sounds like you really spending some quality time in that kitchen of yours. They taste great with white or brown bread, fantastic with mayo and as you suggest, and also work well cold (I prefer them cold myself) and will refrigerate very well for 2-3 days (sealed of course). Enjoy and best your way ! 🙂
Hi!
Excellent photo, indistinguishable in appearance from the cutlets.
We often do not think about dietary food
Cognitive ttekst about healthy food.
Thank you.