Vegan Zucchini Fritters + Spinach Avocado Dip

These vegan zucchini fritters use minimal oil and no batter at all. If you’re looking for an easy and quick appetizer or snack, you’ll love these vegan zucchini fritters and spinach avocado dip. You won’t be disappointed!

This blog post was created in partnership with Best Foods and FeedFeed.  As always, all opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

I cannot believe November is already here — where has the year gone?  I do love this time of the year so I don’t particularly mind.  The weather is cooler (but not too cold), the air is clean and crisp, and we’re deep into sweater season here in Seattle.  The holidays swiftly approach us and it’s the best time of the year to get back into the kitchen.  To kick off one of my favorite months of the year, I made these delicious vegan zucchini fritters in celebration of World Vegan Day.

These vegan zucchini fritters were one of the first appetizers I ever learned how to make when I started making most of my meals at home. They are reminiscent of the Indian pakoras I grew up eating.  While pakoras consisted of deep frying veggies coated in a thick batter, these crispy fritters use minimal oil and no batter at all.    Zucchini fritters were a milestone in the early stages of my health journey — they helped me realize that healthy food can taste just as delicious as the unhealthy stuff.  I was so pleased with the way they turned out that I started making them on a regular basis.  True story — the first time I made them for my family, they disappeared in less than a couple minutes.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve tweaked the recipe so many times to get these fritters to the point where I love them the most.  It’s simple, easy, and made from delicious whole ingredients.  The spinach avocado dip is a new addition to the recipe and one I’ve been enjoying a lot lately.  It’s creamy, whipped, and goes perfectly well with the zucchini fritters.

Making the Vegan Zucchini Fritters

Before starting any cooking adventure in the kitchen, I usually lay out all the ingredients before I turn on the stove (the only exception to this rule is preheating the oven).  This is called mise en place which literally means “everything in its place” in French.  You would think this method would slow down the cooking process, but it doesn’t. In fact, it makes cooking a lot more enjoyable.  Combine that with your favorite music and beverage of choice and cooking turns into a truly enjoyable experience after a long day.

The most important step in making these vegan zucchini fritters is to properly prep the zucchinis and onion.  You can either grate the zucchinis and onion using a box grater, or if you have a food processor, just use the grater disc.

Once you grate the vegetables, it’s very important to drain out as much water as you can.  Sprinkle with sea salt and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out the water.  Then use a cheesecloth to squeeze out as much water as possible.   If you don’t have a cheesecloth, simply add the zucchini to a strainer and press down with a spoon to remove the excess water.  I can’t emphasize how important this step is — if you forget to do this, you’ll end up with soggy fritters instead of delicious crispy ones.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  The chia egg (1 tablespoon ground chia mixed with 3 tablespoons of water) is an excellent substitute for an egg.  It helps hold the fritters together when you cook them.  You can either use regular flour or almond flour, depending on whether you’re trying to avoid gluten in your diet.  Once you mix all of the ingredients, form into small patties with you hands, and cook each fritter in the avocado oil.  You should end up with around 8 zucchini fritters.

Making the Spinach Avocado Dip

This avocado dip is seriously delicious and it’s packed with healthy fats and flavor.  One of the key ingredients to making this dip creamy, light, and delicious is Best Foods Carefully Crafted vegan dressing.  Best Foods Vegan dressing is made with carefully chosen and blended ingredients, is eggless and made with non-GMO sourced ingredients.  It’s a delicious alternative for both vegans and non-vegans alike.  Combine its creaminess and with avocado and you have a power duo!   I also threw in a little spinach to layer in some leafy greens and give this dip its vibrant green color. And the lime juice completes the dip by giving it its fresh and zesty flavor.

I tossed all of the ingredients in the food processor and ended up with this tasty dip, the perfect partner to the zucchini fritters.  I could have probably consumed it straight out of the food processor (and may have).

If you’re looking for an easy and quick appetizer or snack I highly recommend these vegan zucchini fritters and spinach avocado dip. You won’t be disappointed!   If you try out this recipe, let me know what you think.  I love seeing your photos tagged #realandvibrant on Instagram

This blog post was created in partnership with Best Foods and FeedFeed.  As always, all opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.