Legume Free Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes

Total time1 hr

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.6

(9)

These golden pan-seared patties bring together flaky salmon and roasted sweet potato in a way that feels both nourishing and genuinely craveable. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato balances the savory depth of the salmon, while fresh ginger, turmeric, and scallions keep every bite bright and aromatic. Arrowroot starch does the binding work here — no beans, no lentils, no legume-based flour — so the cakes hold together beautifully without any of the usual workarounds that can sneak unwanted ingredients into a dish like this. A quick chill in the fridge before cooking helps the patties firm up, which means they flip cleanly and develop that deep golden crust you're after. The dipping sauce — coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and honey — comes together in minutes and adds a tangy, slightly sweet finish that ties everything together. Serve them with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon and you've got a meal that looks and tastes far more impressive than the effort involved.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the salmon cakes

1 lb skinless salmon fillet
1 cup mashed sweet potato (from about 1 medium sweet potato, cooked and cooled)
3 tbsp arrowroot starch
3 scallions, thinly sliced (green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp coconut oil, divided

For the dipping sauce

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp honey

For serving

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and roast for 45–50 minutes until completely tender when pierced with a knife. Let it cool, then scoop out 1 cup of flesh and mash until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
2
Pat the salmon fillet dry and cut it into rough 1-inch chunks. Working in two batches, pulse the salmon in a food processor 4–5 times until coarsely chopped — the mixture should look like a rough mince with some larger pieces visible, not a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

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