Vegan Italian Bean "Meatballs"
A while back, my mom requested that I create a tasty yet easy veggie "meatball" recipe. After a handful of hours in the kitchen, this recipe was born.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Cook Time (Stovetop)10 mins
Total Time40 mins
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
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder OR 1 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
- 3/4 cup Cooked and Cooled Quinoa 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.
- 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 a plate of pasta with marinara sauce or just dip them in some ketchup!
Notes
*I find these go best with slightly sweeter sauces since they are on the savory side.
**You can find flat parchment sheets HERE