Healthy Kale Quinoa Cakes Recipe You Won't Feel Guilty Eating

These easy kale quinoa cakes are pan-fried to a crispy perfection and served on a bed of spinach with a side of easy homemade tartar sauce. According to food blogger and photographer Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, creating a vegetarian alternative to fish cakes is no easy feat. But these kale quinoa cakes come very close with their rich mineral flavor from the kale, the saltiness from the Parmesan cheese, and bursts of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes.

Quinoa is the ultimate ingredient to form veggie patties like this one, adding protein and carbohydrates while also acting as a great binder. Its mild flavor pairs perfectly with the flavorful additions of cheese, tomatoes, and kale. The result is a crispy, delicious, and veggie-packed cake that feels like a meal on its own, while still remaining healthy.

Served with homemade tartar sauce, when you enjoy these healthy kale quinoa cakes for lunch, you'll feel as though you're dining by the sea. Prepare this recipe, and discover the great texture and taste of pan-fried quinoa patties.

The ingredient list for these kale quinoa cakes may seem a bit long, but all of them are necessary to infuse the quinoa cakes with great texture and flavor.

Start by heading to the pantry and dried goods section and grabbing a cup of quinoa and ½ cup of breadcrumbs. Olive oil, salt, and pepper are a natural must. Five eggs and grated Parmesan cheese will be needed from the fridge. Fresh kale, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley help round out the cakes and add delicious bursts of flavor.

For the homemade tartar sauce, you will need ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of capers, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serving over a bed of spinach and garnished with lemon wedges will make a healthy vegetarian lunch.

To get started, let's set our quinoa to cook. This will give it time to cool sufficiently before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.

Add 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is fully cooked and the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, and set quinoa aside to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, it's a good time to get the rest of your veggies prepped and chopped. To chop the kale, remove the stems from each leaf, and slice it into ribbons. Leaving the kale a bit rough can result in unpleasant, giant bites of kale, so we recommend cutting it fairly thinly.

Mince the onion finely, and finely mince the garlic. And last but not least, whisk the eggs to combine. Keep in mind that while your quinoa is cooking, you can also work on the next step during that same time frame.

While the quinoa is cooling down, it's a good time to sauté the onions, garlic, and kale that will serve to beef up the filling of your kale quinoa cakes.

Bring a large pan to medium heat. Add the diced onions, and sauté for about two minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic, and sauté for an additional minute. Add the strands of diced kale, and stir well to mix.

Cover the mixture with a lid, and let the kale cook about five to eight minutes until it's wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa and cooled-down kale mixture. Add the breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix all the ingredients well to combine. You should end up with a cohesive mixture for veggie cakes, with visible bits of sun-dried tomato and kale breaking up the party and adding pops of color and bites of texture.

The mixture should be sticky enough that you can form it into balls and flatten them into patties. If the mixture doesn't hold together well, add another egg and check for consistency again. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs.

Once the texture of the kale quinoa mixture is to your liking, it's time to roll up your sleeves and shape some kale quinoa cakes!

To start with, get yourself situated comfortable on a flat working surface, like a counter or a table, with a large baking sheet or plate in front of you. With moist hands, begin to form kale quinoa cakes out of the mixture. The quantity of your mixture should suffice for about 12 medium-sized cakes. You may have to moisten your hands while making the cakes, as this helps prevent the ingredients from sticking to your hands instead of to the quinoa patties.

Transfer the shaped cakes to a baking sheet, and set aside.

Set a large, flat nonstick pan or griddle to medium heat. Then, add the oil. Working in batches, fry the kale quinoa cakes until they are fully cooked, crisped around the edges, and browned on both sides, which should take about five minutes per side. Once each side is done cooking, flip gently with a spatula, and repeat on the other side.

Continue cooking until you have fried all your kale quinoa cakes. If desired, uncooked quinoa cakes can also be frozen and kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months, separated with parchment paper between layers.

The next step to making the perfect kale quinoa cakes is optional, but highly recommended. Our quick, easy homemade tartar sauce helps turn these kale quinoa cakes from a snack to a full meal that is reminiscent of some of the best fish cakes this side of the Atlantic (without the fish, of course).

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayo with capers and a squeeze of lemon for a quick tartar sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, until you reach just the right balance of flavors. Your homemade tartar sauce should taste zesty, creamy, and salty, with bursts of briny flavor, courtesy of the capers. If you are skipping the tartar sauce, your kale quinoa cakes can be served with simple mayonnaise or even sour cream.

Your lunch is almost complete! To serve the kale quinoa cakes in a way that really highlights their fish cake-like flavor and texture, we recommend laying them out on a bed of fresh spinach, and drizzling the whole dish with some tartar sauce. Two cakes with spinach should make for a light lunch. A few lemon wedges on the side will complete the meal.

But if you're not counting calories or really looking for that fish-and-chips experience, then we'd like to suggest our kale quinoa cakes would also go very well with some fries and a squeeze (or dipping bowl — we won't tell) of ketchup. They also go great in a pita or a wrap, with the same additions and toppings as you'd serve on a plate. Any way you serve them, these kale quinoa cakes make for a crispy, filling, flavorful, and healthy lunch.