Black bean and walnut croquettes

By: Matt Frazier

Well, sadly, it’s time to close the book on 1,000 Vegan Recipes — on this blog, that is. (Not in my kitchen, where it has officially secured a spot on my list of go-to cookbooks for quick, healthy, interesting meals.) As much as I wish I could do it, Robin Robertson and Wiley might not be too thrilled if I reprinted the entire book on my blog. So today I’m posting a final recipe, which happens to be my favorite yet. For the 995 vegan recipes not on this blog, you’ll have to buy the book.

Ok, back to the recipe. It’s for black bean and walnut croquettes, and it’s super easy — minimal chopping, a quick spin in the food processor, and 10 minutes of pan-frying. Our croquettes came out tasting fantastic with a little sauce I made for them, and they’re great running fuel: a good hit of protein, healhy fats, and some complex carbs. Paired with a little broccoli, you have a meal worth taking to a desert island, outer space, or any another mythical place I believe is made up.

For those not in the know, croquettes are little rolls, usually just a soft mix of ingredients rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. I first ate them when I went to Spain on an exchange program in high school, and I’ve loved them ever since. Until now, they’ve been an indulgence offering little nutritional value. Robin’s recipe, though, cuts back on the oil and uses all healthy ingredients.

Here’s the recipe, the last one I’ll post from 1000 Vegan Recipes (sob, sob), by Robin Robertson, published by Wiley.

Black bean and walnut croquettes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup walnut pieces

3 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup wheat gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)

1 teaspoon dried savory

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, green onions, and parsley and process until finely ground. Add the black beans, soy sauce, flour, savory, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth and well combined.

2. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 8 small patties. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge the croquettes in the crumbs until coated and arrange on a plate. Refrigerate to firm up, about 20 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the croquettes and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Robin’s recipe has you making eight patty-shapped croquettes; I actually formed them into sixteen smaller rolls, like the croquettes I’ve always had. Robin recommends serving these either in a sandwich or with a sauce like her vegan hollandaise or coulis. To go with the southwest feel of the black beans, I made a (non-vegan) chipotle beurre blanc to serve over mine. Not the healthiest choice, perhaps, but it was damn good. To do it, just take a standard beurre blanc recipe, add a minced chipotle pepper at the beginning and a teaspoon or so of adobo sauce at the end, depending on how spicy you like it.

Erin and I loved this recipe; and the fact that it was simple, cheap, and healthy sure doesn’t hurt. Let me know if you give it a try, or if you have ideas for other sauces with it.