Vegetable croquettes ("are they really vegetables?")

Ingredients

• ¼ medium green bell pepper
• ¼ medium red bell pepper
• ¼ medium yellow bell pepper
• ¼ medium zucchini
• ¼ medium leek
• 2 large white mushrooms
• 1 young scallion
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 500 ml soy milk
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 150 ml water
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, for the coating
• 6 tablespoons chickpea flour, for the coating
• 160 ml water, for the coating
• 2 tablespoons vinegar, for the coating
• ½ cup breadcrumbs, for the coating
• ½ cup fine semolina, for the coating
• Sunflower oil, for frying

Missing an ingredient?

• What to use instead of sunflower oil
• What to use instead of olive oil
• What to use instead of zucchini
• What to use instead of all-purpose flour
• What to use instead of cornstarch
• What to use instead of soy milk
• What to use instead of breadcrumbs
• What to use instead of red bell pepper
• What to use instead of green bell pepper
• What to use instead of leek
• What to use instead of semolina

Instructions

1. Wash the vegetables and cut them into brunoise (very small dice).
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the vegetables for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt, mix and turn the heat to the lowest setting.
3. In a small pot, heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, add the 4 tablespoons of flour and whisk. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and gradually add the soy milk, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, fairly runny sauce. Add the rest of the salt and the nutmeg. This is your béchamel.
4. Pour the béchamel into the skillet with the vegetables and mix. Dissolve the cornstarch in the 150 ml of water and add it. Cook everything over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until it's as thick as mashed potatoes (you can add more soy milk or more flour). Taste and adjust the salt.
5. Let it cool and keep it in the fridge for at least 4 hours in a sealed container: the mixture will firm up a bit more.
6. Set up the coating: one bowl with the flour, another with the chickpea flour mixed with the water and vinegar, and a third with the breadcrumbs and semolina.
7. Shape the croquettes (with a croquette maker, with a freezer bag with one corner snipped off, or by hand) and dredge them in the flour, the liquid mixture and the breadcrumbs. If the mixture is soft or you want them extra crispy, coat them twice in flour and liquid before the breadcrumbs: they hold their shape better, don't split when frying and absorb less oil.
8. Lay them on a tray without piling them up. At this point you can freeze them.
9. Heat plenty of oil in a deep skillet, pot or deep fryer over medium heat (170-175°C / 340-350°F) and fry the croquettes in batches, turning them so they cook on all sides. Transfer them to a wire rack lined with paper towels and serve hot.

Nutrition facts

Approximate, per serving (about 238 g). Calculated with data from USDA FoodData Central.