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.

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.

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.

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.

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.