Meatless ‘Meatballs’ Recipe
Craving savoury comfort food without a heavy belly feeling? Me too sis.
These plant based ‘meat’ balls are where it’s at. Crispy on the outside, comforting & savoury on the inside. You gotta try em out!
The bean, hemp and walnut base makes for a ‘meaty’ texture that’s packed full of plant based protein, while the sauce is your new staple for any plant based ‘meat’ meal (seriously, it’s like a healthier (and better 😛) version of the famous IKEA sauce). This sauce, over some Gardein Chick’n strips hitssss)
This meal is SUPER easy to make, crowd pleasing & the balls freeze well for baking at a later date (if you want to pre prep)
Here’s how I made ’em
Ingredients for the Balls:
- Can of Beans ( I used Pinto, though I’m sure whatever works)
- About a teaspoon of sprouted Chia powder, mixed into a few tsp of water. (The Chia acts as an ‘egg’ replacement. Let it sit for a sec before adding to the mix)
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Capsicum (Bell pepper)
- Hemp hearts (an extra boost of plant protein & omega 3)
- Seasoning Salt and your fave spices – I used Black pepper and some nutritional yeast (paprika and cayenne are good too, dill is yummy… you do you really)
- Mushrooms (I used Portobello)
- Onion
- Fresh herbs (I used Cilantro and Parsley, but basil or rosemary would be yummy too)
Add all ingredients except mushroom & onion to a food processor (or use a blender with a tamper, or just chop/smash things finely & combine. We don’t discriminate.) Pulse to incorporate and then add to a large mixing bowl.
– Tip-
- I wish I had cut the bell peppers up into smaller, more manageable chunks before adding them to the processor. In my effort to incorporate all the ingredients, I ‘over blended’ the other ingredients. It made more of a puree than my desired chunky mix (but it still worked, so don’t fear if you do!)
NEXT:
Cut up your portobello mushy (or other mushrooms) into smaller chunks & toss into a hot oiled pan- cook with some minced onions. Once cooked, add it all to the mixing bowl of previous ingredients. Add in your fresh herbs
–Preheat your oven to around 400f –
I’m using some crushed up (kinda stale…?) crackers to help bind the mix- you could also use some breadcrumbs, quinoa, oats… etc
Dump the crackers (or whatever you used) into the mixing bowl with ingredients, and give it a good mix. You want the texture to be wet ish~ but to still hold together and not be toooo sticky. Add more breadcrumbs/crackers (or water if it’s too dry) to adjust.
Using a spoon (or ice cream scoop) portion out the mix and roll into a ball shape. Make sure the balls are similar sizes so they cook evenly.
Bake for around 25 minutes (or until golden brown). Every oven is different!
In the mean time, you can make up a pot of rice (or quinoa… or noodles or mashed potatoes!) and some kind of green vegetable as a side. I also whipped up a simple & delicious sauce!
Ingredients for Sauce:
- Veggie Bouillon cube & about a cup of water to dissolve it
- Onion
- Flour
- Garlic
- Nut Mylk
- Soy Sauce/ Tamari / Braggs
- Mustard
- Black Pepper/Salt
Here’s how to make the sauce:
- Dissolve a vegetable bouillon cube into some hot water.
- While that’s dissolving, you’re going to make a super basic roux on the stovetop.
- Start some minced onions on the stove with a knob of dairy free butter.
- When the butter has melted and the onions have softened, add a heaped teaspoon or two of flour (I used GF all purpose but u do u)
- Mix to completely incorporate – This is the base that will thicken your sauce.
- Add some garlic
- Slowly while stirring, add the vegetable bullion broth that you made, into the flour/butter/onion mixture on the stovetop. I like using a whisk to really mix it well.
- Once that’s fully incorporated, I added some oat milk for creaminess but also to add more volume to the sauce (who doesn’t want more sauce amirite)
- I usually add a squeeze of some kind of mustard, a splash of soy sauce and some black pepper and voila!
- Take the meatballs out of the oven and let them sit for 3-5 min or so before serving
Time to plate & Enjoy!
-Tip- I like to make LOTS of meatballs at once & bake some for that night, but then freeze the rest of them for left overs 🙂 You just construct the meatball per usual, but instead of baking it right away, put it in a glass/ tupperware container with parchment paper to separate each ball from sticking to one another. Freeze for later use.
Don’t forget to tag me if you try out the recipe!
