Vegan meatballs recipe
User Reviews
5
Vegan meatballs recipe
Description
The recipe starts by roasting mushrooms and walnuts to enhance their flavor and remove excess moisture. Combining these with finely ground oats, dried porcini, onions, garlic, black beans, and a variety of spices creates a mix rich in texture and taste. Pulsing ingredients coarsely in a food processor helps to maintain chunky bits, resulting in meatballs with bite rather than a mushy texture.
Once mixed, the portioned mixture is formed into balls, keeping hands wet to prevent sticking. Baking these on an oiled parchment-lined sheet cooks them evenly, and cooling slightly before handling helps them firm up. The meatballs are gluten-free since they omit flour or breadcrumbs, relying on the ingredients’ binding properties.
These vegan meatballs can serve as a meat substitute in dishes like pasta sauce or sandwiches and provide a satisfying alternative with layered umami flavor and hearty texture.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cremini mushroom or portabello mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup oats (rolled oats or quick oats)
- 3 pieces dried porcini mushroom optional
- ⅓ cup onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, crushed
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds toasted
- 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed, canned
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper, and brushing it with olive oil.
- Toss the chopped mushrooms and walnuts in a bowl with olive oil and roast them on the prepared pan for 18 minutes until the mushrooms are tender, and slightly wrinkled looking.
- While the mushrooms are roasting, put the oats, dried porcini (if you are using them), onion, garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, red pepper flakes (if you're using them), oregano, thyme, and toasted fennel seeds into a food processor. Give it a few pulses until it's all coarsely ground.
- Now, take the roasted mushrooms and add them to the food processor, along with the black beans and tomato paste. Pulse everything together until it's well mixed. You want to keep some chunky bits of mushrooms for texture.
- With your hands, make small balls from the mixture. Keep a bowl of water on hand to keep wetting your hands as you roll the balls so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands.
- Over medium-high heat, warm a skillet with 4 teaspoons of olive oil. After 2 minutes, when the oil is hot, put the meatballs in the skillet. Cook them for 5-6 minutes, turning them or shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so, so that the meatballs brown lightly on all sides.
- After they've browned, move the skillet into the oven. Bake them for another 18-20 minutes. They should be firm and a bit crisp on the outside when they're done.
- Take them out and allow them to cool to room temperature. Once you can handle them comfortably, give them each a gentle squeeze in your hands to compress them before you ladle on marinara, or the sauce of your choice and garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- Drain any liquid released from mushrooms after roasting to avoid soggy meatballs.
- Pulse ingredients to a coarse texture to maintain bite and prevent mushiness.
- Panfry in an oven-safe skillet or bake on a lined sheet if skillet handles are not oven-proof.
- Air fryer can be used for initial cooking, then finish baking in the oven.
- Cool meatballs after roasting and gently squeeze them to firm up before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 62 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 62kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 147mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 152mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 16IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 16mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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