These easy vegan black bean cakes are topped with a flavour-packed roasted salsa and fresh coriander lime yogurt. They work great as a protein-packed vegan burger patty!
The Cuisine of Antigua & Barbuda
Like most Caribbean islands, many of the local Antiguan dishes have a West African influence. Interestingly, an evident Spanish and British influence is prevalent throughout Antigua’s cuisine.
In Antigua, seafood is the main staple of the diet, with conch being one of the most popular choices. The island also produces a large range of tropical fruits and vegetables!
Popular Antiguan Recipes
- Fungie– “Antiguan polenta” is cornmeal cooked with okra and stirred to give the texture of mashed potato
- Duncana– a type of steamed dumpling made from grated sweet potato, coconut, pumpkin and cinnamon, cooked in banana leaf
- Chop Up- mash up of different vegetables like callalo, eggplant and okra
- Macaroni Pie– Antigua’s version of mac and cheese which is served sliced and either hot or cold
- Roti- brought over by Indian immigrants, this flatbread is generally stuffed with a variety of fillings (including vegetables) cooked in a curry sauce
- Black Bean Cakes– served as a side dish with salsa and yogurt
Making Vegan Black Bean Cakes
I believe honesty is the best policy, especially when it comes to food. So I am just going to disclaim right now… Our first attempt at making black bean cakes did not go well.
We loosely followed a recipe that called for the black beans to be pulverized with all the other ingredients, then dipped in cornmeal and fried. The result was black bean cakes that were pretty textureless and bland.
The last thing I want to do is post dud recipes on my blog. But, I am also committed to cooking and posting a recipe from every country in the world. Hence, I decided to remake these Antiguan black bean cakes, using the same base ingredients but with a whole new method.
Round two for the vegan Black Bean Cakes
This time around I trusted my own cooking instincts when making the black bean cakes again. Instead of putting raw onion and garlic into the cakes, we sauteed them up first to add more flavor.
Instead of pulverising the black beans, I gently mashed them into the mixture to add more texture. And instead of frying in cornmeal, I added a bit of flour to the mixture to bind it together and baked them in the oven.
The results? Exponentially better-tasting black bean cakes.
What you’ll need to make Vegan Black Bean Cakes
- Fresh ingredients– White, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime plus desired toppings- I’d recommend avocado, tomato, corn, red onion and coriander
- Pantry items– 2 tin of black beans, flour (sub for gluten-free flour), ground cumin, coriander, chilli and flaxseed
- Refrigerated items- Yogurt of choice
How to make Vegan Black Bean Cakes
1. Dry out black beans: Preheat oven to 190˚C (375˚F). Pat black beans dry with paper towel and put on lined baking tray. Put in oven for 10 minutes to dry out.
2. Make black bean mixture: Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Add minced garlic, jalapenos, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and sauté for another few minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add flax egg, flour and three-quarters of the black beans to the bowl, reserving 1/2 cup to add in after. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together, using a fork to mash up the black beans. Once well-combined, stir through the remaining black beans.
3. Compile vegan patties: Shape about 1/3 cup of mixture with hands and put on baking tray. Repeat until all mixture is used. Cook for 20 minutes, turning patties over after 10 minutes.
4. Make the roasted salsa: Put sliced tomatoes, onion and jalapenos on lined baking tray and drizzle with oil. Roast for 15 minutes at 190˚C (375˚F) or until turning golden (you can cook these at the same time as the patties). Transfer to a blender, season with salt and pepper to taste, and blend until a thick salsa is formed.
5. Make coriander lime yogurt: Combine yogurt, lime juice, chopped coriander and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
6. Serve: Top vegan black bean cakes with roasted salsa and coriander lime yogurt. Serve with other toppings such as sliced avocado, diced tomato, red onion + corn.
Serving Suggestions for Black Bean Cakes
We topped our black bean cakes with roasted salsa and a lime coriander yogurt. We also had them in burger form, accompanied by sliced avocado, diced tomato, red onion, and corn.
Vegan Black Bean Cakes with Roasted Salsa
These easy vegan black bean cakes, topped with a flavour-packed roasted salsa and fresh coriander lime yogurt, are inspired by the cuisine of Antigua. They also work great as a protein-packed vegan burger patty!
Ingredients
Vegan Black Bean Cakes
- 2 tins black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, mined
- 3 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water*
- 1/2 cup flour
Roasted Salsa
- 4 tomatoes, hlaved
- 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
- 2 jalapenos, halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
Coriander Lime Yogurt
- 1 cup coconut yogurt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped
Instructions
Make vegan black bean cakes:
- Preheat oven to 190˚C (375˚F). Pat black beans dry with paper towel and put on lined baking tray. Put in oven for 10 minutes to dry out.
- Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Add minced garlic, jalapenos, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and sauté for another few minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add flax egg, flour and three-quarters of the black beans to the bowl, reserving 1/2 cup to add in after. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together, using a fork to mash up the black beans. Once well-combined, stir through the remaining black beans.
- Shape about 1/3 cup of mixture with hands and put on baking tray. Repeat until all mixture is used. Cook for 20 minutes, turning patties over after 10 minutes.
Make the salsa:
- Put sliced tomatoes, onion and jalapenos on lined baking tray and drizzle with oil. Roast for 15 minutes at 190˚C (375˚F) or until turning golden (you can cook these at the same time as the patties). Transfer to a blender, season with salt and pepper to taste, and blend until a thick salsa is formed.
Make coriander lime yogurt:
- Combine yogurt, lime juice, chopped coriander and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.
Serve:
- Top vegan black bean cakes with roasted salsa and coriander lime yogurt. Serve with other toppings such as sliced avocado, diced tomato, red onion + corn.
Notes
*Make flax egg by mixing together 1 tbsp flaxseed and 2.5 tbsp water in a bowl and leaving to sit for 5 minutes. If not vegan, sub for 2 normal eggs.
Other Caribbean dishes to try:
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