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Three Vegan Potato Pancakes with Leeks plated; apple sauce and tzatziki sauce in the background and a checkered napkin to the side
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5 from 13 votes

Vegan Potato Pancakes with Leeks

Fluffy on the inside, browned on the outside – and full of that yum factor!
Course: breakfast, main course, side dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 pancakes
Calories: 81kcal

Equipment

  • food processor (see optional instructions if not using a food processor)
  • air fryer or griddle/skillet

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, left whole or cut into equal-sized pieces
  • 2 large leeks, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and washed (see tips for cleaning leeks below recipe card)
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed (see notes)
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend, such as Namaste Foods brand, or other flour of your choice
  • 1/4 cup cracker or bread crumbs (I use Simple Mills brand almond crackers pulsed into crumbs using my bullet blender)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

  • If you plan on cooking the patties on a griddle or skillet, put the pan on your stove's lowest heat setting so that it warms up while you continue with the recipe.
  • If using a food processor, put the ground flaxseed and water into the processor bowl.
    If you are not using a food processor, put the ground flaxseed and water into a large mixing bowl.
  • Steam the potatoes until they are just fork tender; don't overcook. Remove them from the steaming basket and set aside to cool down (but don't drain the water from the pan).
  • Steam the leeks for about 7 minutes or until soft. Remove the leeks from the steaming basket and let them fully cool down.
  • In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.
  • If you're using a food processor, add the potatoes and leeks to the processor bowl, then pulse them until chopped, leaving some pieces chunky. Don't process into a paste! Using a soft spatula, scrape the potato/leek/flax mixture into a large bowl.
    No food processor? No problem! Hand chop the potatoes and leeks into small pieces then add them to the bowl with the "flax egg."
  • Fold the flour/crumbs mixture into the potatoes and leeks.
  • Form the batter into a mound, and then cut into 8 wedges.
    Form each wedge into a ball, then into a patty.
  • Cook the patties in an air fryer or on a preheated griddle/skillet as follows:
    If using an air fryer, there is no need to use any oil. Cook the patties at 400º for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
    If cooking them on a griddle or in a skillet, brush the pan with avocado oil and turn the heat up to medium/high. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side, or until browned.
  • Serve the potato pancakes with applesauce, tzatziki sauce, or other sauces/dressings as described below.

Notes

Flaxseeds can be ground using a bullet blender (or other blender), or spice mill. Since the oil in flax turns rancid easily, store flaxseeds in the refrigerator, and leftover ground flaxseed in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg