Vegan Air Fried Arancini

Crunchy on the outside, rich and creamy on the inside, these vegan arancini are a perfect party dish. Of Sicilian origin and traditionally made with risotto. Serve with warmed marinara sauce. 


Vegan Air Fried Arancini

Yield: 12-14 croquettes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 cups vegetable stock or water

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water

  • ¾ cup shallot or yellow onion, minced

  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

  • 1 cup shiitake or crimini mushrooms, small dice

  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian spice mix

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ¾ cup arborio rice

  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 small lemon, zested and juiced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade

  • ¼ cup vegan mozzarella, grated, optional

  • ½-¾ cup bread crumbs

  • Olive oil spray

Directions

  1. Heat the vegetable stock in a small pot over medium heat until just before it boils. Reduce heat to low.

  2. Place the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms, Italian spice mix, salt and black pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. 

  3. Add the arborio rice and stir well. Add a few ladles of vegetable stock and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Continue this process until the rice is just tender, approximately 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

  4. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, basil, and shredded vegan mozzarella if using, and stir well. Allow to sit at room temperature or place in the fridge until the mixture is cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, place the bread crumbs in a small bowl.

  5. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, form into balls approximately 2-inches in diameter. Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated and place in the air fryer. Spray with olive oil.

  6. Set the temperature to 400°F and air fry for 5 minutes. Carefully flip the croquettes with tongs, spray with olive oil, and air fry for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations

~ For a quicker and easier version, you can cook the arborio rice and stock in a separate pot. Place the arborio rice and 2 cups of water in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes with the lid on. Fluff with a fork. Follow step 2, skip step 3, and follow the remaining steps.