Go Back
vegan meatballs in skillet

Vegan meatballs

5 from 2 votes
Full of flavor vegan meatballs made with beans and quinoa. Great on a sandwich, in a salad bowl or in tomato sauce over pasta.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Calories: 278
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cup cooked and cooled red or black beans (beans made from scratch* or canned)
  • 2 tbsp olive of avocado oil (divided; for cooking)
  • 1 small red onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional; leave out or add more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
  • 1 cup cooked and completely cooled off quinoa (cooking and cooling time not included in total cooking time)
  • 1/4 cup (vegan) parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Lizano sauce or Worchestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil (plus some for garnishing (optional))
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (plus some for garnishing (optional))

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven: 350F/175C
  2. Add rinsed, dried beans to a baking mat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until beans appear cracked and feel dry to the touch. Remove beans from the oven and then increase oven heat to 375F/190C.
  3. In the meantime, heat a large, oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add garlic, and red onion. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat (and reserve pan for later use).
  4. Add the beans to a food processor along with garlic/onion mixture, sea salt, oregano, chili powder, and smoked paprika and pulse into a loose meal (be careful not to over mix). Then add cooked & cooled quinoa, (vegan) parmesan cheese, tomato paste, fresh basil & parsley, and Lizano/Worcestershire sauce. Pulse to combine until a textured dough forms (again, don’t over mix… you are not looking for a pureé). Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness/depth of flavor, chili for heat or herbs for earthiness. If your mixture is too wet, add more (vegan) parmesan cheese and pulse to combine.
  5. Now scoop out 1+ tbsp of mixture and gently form into small balls using your hands. Add to a plate and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Reuse the skillet you made the garlic/onion mixture in. Heat it up remaining oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and sauté for a few minutes, gently turning the meatballs to get a slight crust on either side. Then transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch. 
  7. These meatballs are delicious as is, or you can add them to this oven roasted tomato sauce. Heat it up over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to infuse more flavor. Optional: add 1 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom to the sauce to give the sauce even more depth of flavor. Serve it on top of pasta, rice or quinoa. Bon appétit!

Notes

*recipe for beans from scratch
 
Nutritional information:
the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.