Vegan Potato Latkes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I only really like potatoes in a golden and crispy format. Lucky for me, a Hanukkah staple just happens to be shredded potatoes formed into patties and… you guessed it, fried until golden and crispy.

Traditional latkes use egg as a binder, but because I prefer not eating eggs I simply swap the egg for a combo of flax “egg” and arrow root starch. This also happens to be my secret to vegan veggie burgers, but that’s a conversation for a different day. Typically for a flax egg you’d add three tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon ground flax, but I reduce it to 2 tablespoons for this Latkes recipe to avoid adding too much moisture.

Other than that, it’s a pretty typical latkes recipe. I go a little heavy on the salt because POTATOES NEED SALT and included an option to add a minced shallot, which adds a soft onion flavor that I love (feel free to omit).

Before I get to the recipe, I just have a few tips to keep in mind…

– avoid pressing down too much on the latke when placing in the pan, this keeps the inside lighter and less dense

– a slotted spatula is very useful for draining oil when removing latkes from pan

– let the oil get SUPER hot before adding the first batch, if the oil ever starts smoking, turn to low immediately

– latkes can actually be made ahead and reheated in a super hot oven, they’ll be good as new

– wanna take it to the next level? serve with my easy Cranberry Apple Sauce!

Vegan Potato Latkes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs russet potatoes (2 large)
1 medium shallot, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
2 tablespoons non dairy milk or water
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon arrow root starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more as needed

To Make

Peel and shred the potatoes. Line a large bowl with a clean dish towel and transfer potatoes into cloth. Fold in the edges of the towel to cover the top of the potatoes and press down firmly. After about 5-10 minutes, wring out excess water and discard.

While the potatoes sit, make the flax egg by stirring together 1 tablespoons ground flax with 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk or water. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Mix potatoes with remaining ingredients, including flax “egg”, until fully combined. It will be a very loose mixture.

Add oil to a skillet to fully coat the bottom. Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat. You will likely need to adjust the heat during cooking to prevent smoking while keeping the oil hot.

While oil heats, divide potato mixture into 4 sections, then each of those sections into two for a total of 8 latkes. When the oil is fully heated (and not a second sooner), fry the latkes in batches, adding more oil as needed. Gently drop each ball of the mixture into the oil. Using a spatula, gently spread out the mixture into a 3-4” circle. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until crispy and golden. Transfer latkes to a towel lined baking sheet. I recommend using a slotted spatula to help strain out oil. Keep cooked latkes in a warm oven while remaining batches are cooked, if desired.