This recipe for Veggie Nuggets with Vegan Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce has been on my mind literally for YEARS. After a few kitchen failures, I finally got the mixture just right. I know this because my mom (who is my official taste-tester, but not vegan) declared, “mmm….these are so good. I’m going to finish every single one of them!” To me, that indicates success. Side note: she is also my very unwilling hand model in these shots. Thanks mom 🙂
I first created the base of this glorious veggie concoction for a chickpea cutlet that you will see on my soon-to-be-launched vegan site, Living Vegan. It turned out so well, I decided to further develop that base into these little nuggets that both kids and adults will love.
I learned a lot from those kitchen failures, so I guess they weren’t really “failures” … more like lessons. The first one was that moisture is the enemy. The carrots, mushrooms and even the chickpeas MUST have any excess moisture removed with paper toweling. This is not optional.
I start with chickpeas, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Place this mixture into a large bowl.
No need to clean the processor for the carrots and mushrooms. If using canned mushrooms, squeeze them dry and puree to a fine mince. Add to the bowl with the chickpea mixture.
So you should have two mixtures that look something like this. Fold together with the flax “egg”, flour and panko breadcrumbs.
Ok, so here’s what we’ve got. If it seems too moist, add just a bit more of either flour or breadcrumbs. It will still be sticky, but should be workable.
For this next step, I wanted uniform nuggets so I used an oval cookie cutter. I found that it worked best if I pressed the mixture into the cutter directly on the crumbs. By the way, these are salted pretzels that I ground into breadcrumbs.
Damp hands make this job easier and I made six at a time, then tossed in the crumbs. It actually went pretty fast after I got the hang of it. That being said, you could just use a cookie scoop to make even portions and form them with your hands. I was going for the aesthetic. Aren’t they pretty! 😉
In a large non-stick skillet (<- this is the set I have & LOVE) over medium high heat, I add about 1 Tbl of oil at a time and this was for half of the mixture. You can drain the excess on paper towels.
Looking good, right?
So here’s an extreme close up and at this point, I am SO glad I chose pretzels. Those little pieces made them crispy and crunchy on the outside and they held together like a dream!
The interior is much like falafel and with the vegan version of “honey” mustard dipping sauce, we literally finished the entire batch! One recipe made 22 nuggets. My oval cutter took about 1 Tbl of the mixture.
Did you make this recipe for Veggie Nuggets with Vegan Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce? If so, leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought.
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Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKPEA MIXTURE:
- 1 can Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) rinsed, drained and patted dry with paper towels
- 1 Green Onion (Scallion) rough chop
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 c fresh Italian Parsley
FOR THE CARROT MIXTURE:
- 1 large Carrot rough chop
- 1 7 oz. can Sliced Mushrooms drained and squeezed completely dry using paper towels
TO MAKE THE VEGGIE NUGGETS:
- 1 tbsp Ground Flax mixed with 3 tbsp WATER allow to sit for 10 minutes
- 1/4 c All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 c Panko Breadcrumbs
- Salted Pretzels processed into fine crumbs
- Oil of your choosing for frying
FOR THE VEGAN "HONEY" MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE:
- 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
- 2 tbsp Agave Syrup
- 1/2 c White Vinegar
- 1/4 c Vegan Mayonnaise
- 1/4 c Vegan Sour Cream
Instructions
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Combine 1 Tbl of ground flax with 3 Tbl of water. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes to thicken.
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In the bowl of a processor, crush the pretzels to a fine crumb. Place on a flat plate.
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In the bowl of a food processor, add the chickpeas, green onion, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic. Pulse a few times until it's a coarse mixture. Remove to a large bowl.
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No need to clean the processor, just add the carrots and mushrooms. It is imperative that the mushrooms (if using canned) are squeezed completely dry. Process until finely minced. Add to the chickpea mixture.
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Add the flax mixture, flour and panko breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. If it seems to moist, add more flour or panko. It will still be sticky, but should be workable. Damp hands make forming the nuggets easier.
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Using a cookie scoop, place 1 Tbl of the mixture directly into the breadcrumbs. You can form by hand OR use the oval cookie cutter as I did. Completely coat the formed nuggets in the pretzel crumbs. Complete all 22 nuggets before proceeding.
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Heat a pan over medium high to high heat and add oil suitable for pan-frying. Add half of the nuggets to the pan at a time and fry until golden on one side. Flip and repeat. Remove to paper toweling to cool.
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Combine all of the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve.
Recipe Video
dayna says
i tried to subscribe but when i hit the subscribe button, nothing happened 🙁
PattK says
Can you use fresh mushrooms instead of canned? If so, should they be sautéed first?
aimee says
Hi Patty, You can definitely use fresh mushrooms but I don’t think you would need to saute them first. Just process them with the carrots as the recipe indicates. Since you are pan-frying, they probably won’t release much water. If you make the recipe, I’d love to know what you think 🙂
Barb Maidelis says
I really really don’t care for mushrooms. Can I leave them out? Or sub something else for them?
aimee says
Hi Barb, you absolutely can leave them out! You may substitute any veggie you like, so long as it doesn’t add moisture to the mix. Just keep the mixture finely minced, but don’t over process it into hummus. I say this because I did it on my first attempt. It wasn’t pretty 🙂
Marla says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I used a can of artichokes instead of chickpeas and whole grain spelt flour instead of all-purpose, breaded them in Panko and Vegan Parmesan and served with Cashew Gravy, so delicious!
Brittany says
Are the carrots raw going into the food processor? Would they not stay crunchy?
aimee says
Yes! They go in raw and because they are chopped so fine, they do get cooked enough. Nothing crunchy about them 🙂
Katie says
Could I make big batches and freeze them then take them out and cook as needed? I have 5 kids so finding time to make these on a regular bases just isn’t going to happen! 😄
aimee says
Hi Katie, although I have never tried this, here is what I am thinking. I would try making the recipe and forming them. Then, place onto a cooking sheet and freeze. Once they are frozen enough, place into a freezer safe container (or zip bag). I would allow them to defrost and proceed with pan frying them per the recipe instructions. I would be really interested to hear how this turns out if you do decide to try it 🙂
Alissa says
Hi Katie, did you ever try freezing these? If so, did they turn out?
Linda says
Quick questions, I have dry chickpeas, would I have to cook them first for the recipe?
aimee says
Hi Linda, yes. Since canned chickpeas are already soaked and cooked, you’ll need to do the same with the dried chickpeas.
Marlen says
This is so delicious! I needed to add way more flour to get a less moist mix. And I used fresh mushrooms for the mix and crushed cornflakes to coat the nuggets instead of panko bread.
Regards from Germany! 🙂
Sharon says
How much pretzels as the recipe doesn’t say.
aimee says
Hi Sharon, gosh – I didn’t really measure. I just took a handful and crushed them. I’d say maybe a cup or so for all 24 nuggets. You may have some left over from the process of trying to bread them. I hope that helps 🙂
Charlene says
Hi Amiee 😀 These look so yummy, and I am very excited to try them. If I were to bake these, I no longer use any sort of oil in my cooking, at what temp, and for how long would you suggest ? Once I make these, I will absolutely let you know how they turned out ! Thank You !!! 😋😄😄
aimee says
Hi Charlene, I do think that you could bake them. I am thinking 350 degrees until golden. I know that’s not an exact time, but since I haven’t tried this, I am not exactly sure how long that would take. However, I would flip them to ensure both sides get some color and they should be firm enough to handle as seen in my pictures. They will continue to set up as they cool a few minutes. Also, if you have an air fryer, you could definitely use that! If you do decide to try this, I would love to know how they turned out 🙂