Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Arancini (Vegan)
10-ingredient vegan arancini with cauliflower rice, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Inspired by an Italian dish that's typically cooked rice stuffed with cheese and fried, only my version is healthier and veganized!
Servings 14 (arancini)
Ingredients
ARANCINI
- 3 cups cauliflower rice (1 small head cauliflower yields ~ 3 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 12 g)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (divided plus more for sautéing)
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 Tbsp fresh basil (chopped // plus more for serving // or 1 Tbsp dried basil per 3 Tbsp fresh)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs*
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (plus more to taste)
COATING
- 3 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese
FOR SERVING optional
- 1 cup favorite marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté cauliflower rice and garlic in half the olive oil (1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) for 5 minutes, with a lid on, stirring frequently. Set aside.
- Prepare flax egg by adding flaxseed meal and water to a blender or food processor. Wait 5 minutes.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, vegan parmesan cheese, and panko bread crumbs, and pulse/mix to combine.
- Add cauliflower rice to food processor or blender, along with salt and pepper and remaining olive oil (1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Pulse/mix a few more times and then transfer to a mixing bowl to avoid getting the mixture too paste-like.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more bread crumbs and/or vegan parmesan cheese if the mixture feels too wet. It should be moldable when squeezed together.
- Transfer mixture to refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, or freezer for 15 minutes. At this time, mix together panko bread crumbs and vegan parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Once chilled, use a Tablespoon or cookie scoop (I like this one from Amazon) to scoop out rounded Tablespoon amounts of the arancini mixture.
- Carefully form into balls by resting the arancini in your palm and using your other hand's fingers to gently roll until a ball is formed. They are fragile, so work carefully. There should be 13-14 total (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Coat arancini one at a time in the panko-vegan parmesan mixture, then set aside on a baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1-2 Tbsp oil and brown 6-7 arancini at a time for 4-5 minutes total, rolling with a spoon or fork to brown on all sides. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.
- Once all are browned, place back on a baking sheet and bake in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare/heat sauce (optional) and any other desired toppings or sides.
- Let arancini cool for 5 minutes, then serve with marinara and additional vegan parmesan cheese. These are best eaten with a fork as they are tender.
- Leftovers keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator, though best when fresh. Reheat in the microwave or in a 375-degree F (190 C) oven until warmed through.
Notes
Nutrition (1 of 14 servings)
Serving: 1 arancini Calories: 93 Carbohydrates: 9 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 0.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 140 mg Fiber: 1.7 g Sugar: 1 g