Veggie Nuggets
Crispy, yet soft on the inside and lightly seasoned, these veggie nuggets tick all the right texture and flavour boxes so much so, my husband swears they have a chicken nugget quality to them. I’ll take that compliment! Carrots are in vogue with my daughter at the moment, but feel free to add any vegetable combinations you fancy to the bean breadcrumb base. Corn and cheese. Zucchini. Scroll to the end of the recipe for variations and their quantities. Serve them as a snack or part of a full meal. Tomato sauce is a must.
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- quick, easy, family friendly, beans, cannellini beans, borlotti beans, protein, fibre, air fryer, crispy, fridge storage, freezer storage, plant-based, healthy, homemade nuggets
- Crispy, yet soft on the inside and lightly seasoned, these veggie nuggets tick all the right texture and flavour boxes.
Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tinned borlotti or cannellini beans
- drained and rinsed
- 30g (2 tablespoons) onion
- chopped
- 1 small garlic clove
- chopped
- 50g (½ cup) sourdough breadcrumbs
- 200g (2 cups) carrot
- peeled and coarsely grated
- ½ teaspoon iodised table salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or all-purpose seasoning
Cheese and Corn
- 120g (1 cup) frozen corn
- 60g (½ cup) cheddar cheese
- grated
Zucchini
- 200g (2 cups) zucchini
- coarsely grated and
- squeezed well to remove the juice
Dish up with
Tomato sauce
Method
Turn on the oven
These nuggets bake well in an air fryer and an oven. If using an air fryer, line the basket with baking paper. If an oven is preferred, turn it onto 200℃ or 180℃ fan forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Blend beans
Place the borlotti beans, onion and garlic in a large bowl and blend until smooth, using a stick blender.
Add other ingredients
Add the breadcrumbs, carrots, salt and paprika or all purpose-seasoning to the blended beans and use a spoon to combine everything together.
Shape the nuggets
Scoop out a tablespoon of bean mixture and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly so it resembles a nugget. Place into the paper lined air fryer basket or onto the prepared baking tray. Continue shaping the balls until the bowl is clean, 12 nuggets.
Bake nuggets
Bake in a 160℃ air fryer for 25 - 30 minutes or in the prepared oven for 35 - 40 minutes, until crispy and golden.
Plate up
Allow to cool before arranging on a plate with a little bowl of tomato sauce for dipping.
Variations
Leave out the carrot and try adding frozen corn and cheddar cheese or finely grated zucchini to the bean and breadcrumb base.
Storage + Leftovers
Veggie Nuggets are best eaten warm and crispy, but they’re delicious the next day, for school lunch or wrapped up in a wholemeal salad wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Double the recipe and keep them for another day by popping the uncooked nuggets on a tray and placing in the deep freeze. Store them in a zip-locked bag or a container to prevent freezer burn.