This recipe is unbelievable.
I’m serious. It’s one of those recipes where you read the ingredients, roll your eyes, and say, “There is absolutely no way this recipe will turn out.”
Then you try it anyway, because curiosity gets the better of you.
Such was the case when I came across a recipe for no-potato tater tots in the book Superfood Kitchen. Logical reasoning told me it just wasn’t possible that the ingredients listed on the page could yield something even remotely similar to a tater tot…
Logical reasoning was wrong.
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside…
And difficult to stop eating!
These “superfood” taters are high in protein, EFAs, and fiber. And in this recipe, no deep-fryer is necessary to achieve that perfect crispy-soft texture.
Healthy Tater Tots
(Reprinted with permission)
- 3/4 cup cooked white beans (such as Great Northern)
- 2 tbsp flaxseeds (golden for most-authentic appearance)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxmeal
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (K note: I cooked my quinoa with 1/8 tsp salt)
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup finely-diced onion
- oil or oil spray for the pan
Using a fork, mash the white beans in a large bowl. (If using unsalted beans, you can add a little extra miso or salt to compensate.) Mix in the remaining ingredients, except for oil. A handful of dough at a time, form 1 inch thick long logs on a chopping board. Carefully cut logs into ½ thick slices to make the tots. Warm a skillet over low heat, and pour in a little olive oil (a tablespoon or two) to coat the pan. (K note: I did these in two batches and used about 1 tbsp olive oil per batch. I did also fry a few separately in oil spray to make sure it would work, as I knew people would ask about that option!) Place tots inside the pan, and cook for several minutes until browned. Use a spatula to flip tots over to brown other side evenly. Serve homemade tater tots immediately with ketchup if desired, or freeze for later use. Serves 3-5.
Click to: View Tater Tots Nutrition Facts
Although I’ve never been completely sold on the extent of superfoods’ health benefits, I found myself bookmarking page after page of Superfood Kitchen by Julie Morris simply because the recipes sound delicious. Quinoa Spaghetti with Cashew Cream Sauce and Chard? Hearty Kale and Black Eyed Pea Stew? Superfood Sangria? Yes please! Along with the recipes, Ms. Morris has included a catalogue of superfood ingredients, detailing the benefits of and uses for each. It’s inspired me to expand my own culinary horizons, and I recommend this book for anyone looking to break out of a cooking rut and experience a whole array of new flavors.
Do you include any superfoods in your diet?
I don’t go out of my way to eat something just because it’s a superfood, but my diet is accidentally filled with superfoods: blueberries, almonds, sweet potatoes, spinach, coconut, chocolate… chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Chocolate. And no, it is not a typo that I have chocolate listed five times.
Link of the Day:
……………… Black Bean Brownies
Beans are a superfood too. Bring on the brownies!
Sherry says
Will add these to our Super Bowl menu!! My son is not a fan of quinoa, but I’m not going to tell him that’s what’s in them … let’s see if that works. 😉
I’m definitely going to use homemade ketchup — store bought (Heinz, etc.) not very healthy!! (HFCS – not good)
Janet says
These sound great!
Would it work to substitute cauliflower for the beans? Beans = starch -> carbohydrates.
We’d still get fiber using cauliflower.
Lisa says
I LOVE your recipes. Thank you so much.
fyi – I have heard very convincing word from scientists and nutritionists that the better oils to use for cooking are coconut oil, butter, and perhaps canola oil and some others; they are more, chemically-speaking, “stable.” Olive oil, when heated, breaks down into unstable, unhealthy compounds. Best to you! Lisa
Jessica says
I was skeptical, but SUPER impressed! They seriously taste like tater tots! I know a lot of people can be picky, so for them I will say that even though the taste is not exact (how could it be?) it is pretty close! If you are craving tater tots, these will definitely satisfy you! Much like if you are craving brownies and make CCK’s black bean brownies! Side note: I couldn’t find white miso itself, so I bought a single packet of white miso soup for $1.89, and it worked great! I will be making these again and passing this recipe on! Thank you so much!
Kelly De Leon-Lopez says
Let me just start by saying I love anything with buffalo sauce so when I found a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot casserole, I had to try it. However, tater tots aren’t exactly the healthiest and as a health coach I had to find a way to do this. Thank you for your Healthy Tater Tot recipe. I can’t wait to try with the casserole. 🙂
Kelly
Skye says
I made this, and used millet instead of quinoa, and modified it a little bit, and I must say it was great. I will add a little more salt next time. I am so happy with this recipe because it’s one of the first plant based recipes with protein in it that my 7 year old son has eaten and actually gave it a thumbs up.
JJ from Strong Armed Report says
These were fantastic! I didn’t even need oil to fry them – just a good nonstick pan. Paired with a simple Asian dipping sauce (garlic chili sauce, tomato paste, pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger powder), I put away almost half of them and got more fiber than most Americans get in an entire day. Thanks for the great recipe!
Melanie says
I just discovered this site a few days ago, and there are so many recipes I want to try! You are a food and recipe genius, Katie. One question, though. Several days ago I signed up for the bonus recipes, but I haven’t received anything besides the activation email. I activated it, but I still haven’t received the recipes. Is there something else I need to do?
Christy March says
I know this a very old recipe, so I apologize if the substitution of Oat flour was already mentioned. But I just made these (and doubled the recipe!) and used oat flour, they came out so good!!!!! My boys finished off the entire plate!! They are 7&5 years old and generally are picky eaters.
Brandi Crocker says
Wouldn’t it be better to bake these?