Vegan Italian Bean "Meatballs"
These Vegan Italian Bean "Meatballs" are so easy and approachable thanks to their simple ingredients and minimal prep. Best of all, they're delicious and loaded with flavor!
Servings: 12 meatballs
Ingredients
- One 15 oz. can Black or Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tb. Ground Flaxseed
- 3 Tb. Water
- 1 Tb. Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp. Coconut Sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder OR 1-2 Tb. Fresh White Onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 3/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tb. Dry Quick Oats (10 g)
- 3/4 cup Cooked and Cooled Quinoa (138 g) in a pinch, use the frozen type!
Instructions
- First, decide if you'd like to bake the meatballs in the oven or cook them stovetop in a frying pan. If baking in the oven, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Next, combine the water and ground flaxseed in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Then, mash your beans in a mixing bowl using a potato masher.
- Add the spices, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and the flax/water mixture to the bowl containing the mashed beans and stir very well until the tomato paste is evenly distributed throughout.
- Next, add the cooled quinoa and the oatmeal to that bowl and stir well again.
- Lastly, form this mixture into 11 to 12 equal-sized balls and either place on a lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high and allow them to cook for five minutes on each side until browned all over. Or, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. You can't go wrong either way!
- Once they're cooked, decide how you'd like to eat them. You can go the traditional route and pile them on top of a plate of pasta with marinara sauce, or just dip them in a sweeter sauce, such as ketchup! Feel free to get creative.
Notes
- Excess moisture could lead to balls that fall apart, so be sure to drain your beans well, and measure the water that goes with the flaxseed very carefully. Then, pack the balls very tightly before cooking.
- If you feel the balls are too loose and don't hold their shape before cooking, add an extra tablespoon or two of dry oats to the mix.
- I find these go best with slightly sweeter sauces since they are on the savory side.
- You can use these as an easy appetizer! Fill a small shot glass or other small glass with your sauce of choice, stick toothpicks into the bean balls and place in glass - so easy, fun, and not very messy!
- You can find flat parchment sheets HERE