Cauliflower Arancini

By GuidingVegan

Ingredients

• cheese sauce ingredients:
• 1/2 C raw whole cashews (soaked in water for 3 hours minimum)
• 3/4 C non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tapioca starch (or substitute cornstarch)
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• cauliflower rice ingredients:
• 1 tbsp ground flax (or ground chia seeds)
• 3 tbsp water
• 5 C cauliflower florets (approximately 1/2 a head of cauliflower, depending on size)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 C panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Details

Servings 24
Adapted from hotforfoodblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

** makes 24 balls

3-4 cups vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Whisk together ground flax with water and refrigerate for 10 minutes to set and thicken.

Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor with garlic cloves until it becomes the texture of rice. Add the cauliflower rice to a large mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl combine panko breadcrumbs with oregano, basil, sea salt, and ground pepper.

Drain raw cashews from the soaking water and rinse under fresh water. Drain and add to a high-powered blender with the remaining cheese sauce ingredients and blend until very smooth.

Heat the cheese sauce in a saucepan over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens.

Add the cheese sauce to the cauliflower rice mixture, along with the thickened flax mixture, and 1 1/2 cups of the breadcrumb mixture and stir to combine well.

Heat vegetable oil in a pot until it reaches approximately 375 F.

While oil is heating form the risotto balls using a scant 1/4 cup of the mixture to form 1 1/2“ balls with your hands. Then coat well in the remaining breadcrumb mixture. Set aside each ball onto a plate or baking sheet.

Place 3-4 balls in the hot frying oil and fry for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each batch until the breadcrumb coating is golden brown. Remove each ball from the oil with a slotted fryer spoon and set onto paper towel. Continue until all the arancini are fried.

Warm up your dipping sauce while you’re frying and serve immediately.