Prep Time:40 minsAdditional Time:30 minsTotal Time:1 hr 10 minsServings:6Yield:6 servingsJump to Nutrition Facts
Prep Time:40 minsAdditional Time:30 minsTotal Time:1 hr 10 minsServings:6Yield:6 servings
Prep Time:40 mins
Prep Time:
40 mins
Additional Time:30 mins
Additional Time:
30 mins
Total Time:1 hr 10 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Servings:6
Servings:
6
Yield:6 servings
Yield:
6 servings
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
If you love spaghetti and meatballs but you’re trying to cut down on meat, you need to try our vegan meatballs recipe, which swaps traditional ground beef, other meats (such as pork and lamb) and eggs for a plant-based blend of hearty chickpeas and quinoa. While we’ve skipped the meat, we’re not skimping on any of those Italian flavors that you look for in a classic meatball. In addition to being free of meat and dairy, our vegan meatballs also nix the breadcrumbs that are used as a binder in many meatball recipes, so they’re also gluten-free. Serve them over your favorite pasta or swap in vegetable noodles for a lower-carb meal and an extra serving of veggies.
Tips for Making Vegan Meatballs
1. Make the Plant-Based Meatball Mixture
2. Add Some Umami
The secret to the meatlike flavor of our vegan meatballs is umami. Called the fifth taste (the other four are sweet, sour, salty and bitter), umami is essentially a savory flavor that comes from the amino acid glutamate. Meat and Parmesan cheese, which are used in traditional meatballs, have a lot of naturally occurring glutamates. To get umami in our vegan meatballs, we use vegan ingredients that have glutamates, including tomato paste, tamari (which is gluten-free soy sauce) and mushrooms. When you combine all of these ingredients, you end up with an amazing vegan meatball that would make even the biggest carnivores' mouths water. Try using these umami-rich ingredients to give a meaty flavor to other vegan dishes, such as soups and stews.
Read:Why Switching to a Vegan Diet Is Good for the Planet (and You!)
3. Shape and Bake the Meatballs
Once you’ve stirred together the meatball mixture, use your hands to form it into balls. (You can also shape the mixture into a loaf, for a vegan meatloaf.) Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake until heated through and firm.
4. Serve with a Simple Sauce
While the meatballs are baking, whip up a simple sauce: Simply sauté canned tomatoes, crushed red pepper and Italian seasonings, then simmer for a few minutes for an easy tomato sauce that’s way tastier than jarred.
Check Your Wallet: Traditional Meatballs vs. Vegan Meatballs
For a price comparison on vegan versus traditional meatballs, we turned to vegan celebrity chef Chloe Coscarelli (aka Chef Chloe onInstagramandYouTube). Coscarelli notes that the vegan version costs $9.26 to make the recipe, compared to a traditional meatball made with beef, lamb, veal and eggs, which clocks in at $13.88 per recipe. That’s a savings of almost $5 for the recipe, or almost $1 per serving.
Environmental Impact: Traditional Meatballs vs. Vegan Meatballs
In terms of environmental impact, using chickpeas and quinoa instead of beef helps make these “meatballs” better for the environment. Beef creates an estimated 34 times more climate pollution than beans and lentils, pound for pound, according to research from theNRDC.
Nutritional Comparison: Traditional Meatballs vs. Vegan Meatballs
New Rearch on Plant Proteins Shows Eating Less Meat Really Is Better for Your Health
Serve your vegan meatballs simply with sauce or add some regular or veggie noodles. They’re also great over grain bowls or salads. And they freeze well, so make a big batch to have on hand for easy meals.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients2 ½cupssmall cauliflower florets8ounceswhite mushrooms, halved½smallonion, coarsely chopped2largecloves garlic, divided4tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, divided1 ½teaspoonsItalian seasoning, divided½teaspoonsalt, divided¼teaspoonground pepper1tablespoontomato paste1cupcanned chickpeas2cupscooked quinoa1tablespoonreduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce1(28 ounce) canno-salt-added crushed tomatoes½teaspooncrushed red pepper2tablespoonschopped fresh basil
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
2 ½cupssmall cauliflower florets
8ounceswhite mushrooms, halved
½smallonion, coarsely chopped
2largecloves garlic, divided
4tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ½teaspoonsItalian seasoning, divided
½teaspoonsalt, divided
¼teaspoonground pepper
1tablespoontomato paste
1cupcanned chickpeas
2cupscooked quinoa
1tablespoonreduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1(28 ounce) canno-salt-added crushed tomatoes
½teaspooncrushed red pepper
2tablespoonschopped fresh basil
DirectionsPreheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.Pulse cauliflower, mushrooms, onion and 1 garlic clove in a food processor until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower mixture, 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool, stirring a few times, for 5 minutes.Add chickpeas to the food processor; puree until smooth. Add the chickpea mixture to the large bowl along with quinoa and tamari (or soy sauce); stir to combine. Form the mixture into 24 balls (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet.Bake the meatballs until heated through and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes.Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining garlic clove. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Serve the meatballs with the sauce, sprinkled with basil.TipsTo make ahead: The sauce can be made 3 days ahead and the meatballs can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately.Learn more about how to make thesevegan meatballs.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, March 2019
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.Pulse cauliflower, mushrooms, onion and 1 garlic clove in a food processor until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower mixture, 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool, stirring a few times, for 5 minutes.Add chickpeas to the food processor; puree until smooth. Add the chickpea mixture to the large bowl along with quinoa and tamari (or soy sauce); stir to combine. Form the mixture into 24 balls (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet.Bake the meatballs until heated through and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes.Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining garlic clove. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Serve the meatballs with the sauce, sprinkled with basil.TipsTo make ahead: The sauce can be made 3 days ahead and the meatballs can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately.Learn more about how to make thesevegan meatballs.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Pulse cauliflower, mushrooms, onion and 1 garlic clove in a food processor until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower mixture, 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool, stirring a few times, for 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas to the food processor; puree until smooth. Add the chickpea mixture to the large bowl along with quinoa and tamari (or soy sauce); stir to combine. Form the mixture into 24 balls (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs until heated through and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining garlic clove. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Serve the meatballs with the sauce, sprinkled with basil.
Tips
To make ahead: The sauce can be made 3 days ahead and the meatballs can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately.
Learn more about how to make thesevegan meatballs.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, March 2019
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)394Calories17gFat46gCarbs13gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
