Looking for a vegan, gluten-free and soy-free dinner recipe? These vegan Chicpea Meatballs with Tomato Sauce are here to serve you.
Chickpea Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- cooked chickpeas
- nutritional yeast
- ground flax
- vegetable broth
- almond flour
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- thyme
- pepper
- salt
- olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
- crushed tomatoes
- yellow onion, diced
- garlic, minced
- olive oil
- dried oregano
- smoked paprika
- crushed red pepper flakes
- ground cumin
- salt
How to make Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F/220 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment, foil, or a silicon baking mat.
Step 2: Pulse the chickpeas in a blend or food processor until finely chopped.
Step 3: Add chopped chickpeas to a large bowl with ground flax, almond flour, nutritional yeast, and all spices.
Step 4: Stir to evenly distribute everything.
Step 5: Add in 4 tbsp/60ml of broth, stirring to until mixture is holding together. If mixture feels too crumbly, add more broth 1 tbsp/15ml at a time.
Step 6: Stir in the olive oil, working the mixture until sticky and holding together in a ball. If the mixture is too wet, you can add more almond flour.
Step 7: Grease your hands to prevent the mixture from sticking and scoop out 2 tbsp/30ml size amounts. Roll between your hands to create a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning over at 10 minutes, until crispy on the outside and heated through.
How to make Tomato Sauce
Step 1: Peel and finely mince the garlic and dice the onion into small cubes.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium. Add the onion and garlic.
Step 3: Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant and beginning to brown.
Step 4: Add the spices (except the salt) and stir to toast.
Step 5: Add the crushed tomatoes. Stir well.
Step 6: Cook at a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is reduced by ¼. Add the salt and stir.
Step 7: Taste and adjust salt or other spices to preference. If the sauce is too acidic, add 1 tsp/3g granulated sugar (optional).
Step 8: Remove from heat and add in the “meatballs”. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and nutritional yeast if desired.
Serve immediately. Great over couscous, cooked quinoa, pasta, rice, or just as an appetizer.
Notes
If not serving right away (or storing a portion for later) keep the meatballs and sauce separate. The meatballs will start falling apart if left in the sauce too long.
Chickpea meatballs can be reheated in the oven and the sauce can be reheated in a saucepan on the stove.
More tasty vegan dinner recipes:
Ingredients
Chickpea Meatballs
- 1 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas (290 g)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp ground flax
- 5 tbsp vegetable broth
- 4 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Tomato Sauce
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes ( 800 ml)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Chickpea Meatballs
- Preheatoven to 425°F/220C. Line a baking sheet with parchment, foil, or a silicon baking mat.
- Pulsethe chickpeas in a blend or food processor until finely chopped.
- Addchopped chickpeas to a large bowl with ground flax, almond flour, nutritionalyeast, and all spices.
- Stir toevenly distribute everything.
- Addin 4 tbsp/60ml of broth, stirring to until mixture is holding together. Ifmixture feels too crumbly, add more broth 1 tbsp/15ml at a time.
- Stirin the olive oil, working the mixture until sticky and holding together in aball. If the mixture is too wet, you can add more almond flour.
- Grease yourhands to prevent the mixture from sticking and scoop out 2 tbsp/30ml sizeamounts. Roll between your hands to create a ball and place on the preparedbaking sheet.
- Bakefor 20-25 minutes, turning over at 10 minutes, until crispy on the outside andheated through.
Tomato Sauce
- Peeland finely mince the garlic and dice the onion into small cubes.
- Heatthe oil in a large pan over medium. Add the onion and garlic.
- Cookfor 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant and beginning to brown.
- Addthe spices (except the salt) and stir to toast.
- Addthe crushed tomatoes. Stir well.
- Cookat a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is reduced by ¼. Add the saltand stir.
- Tasteand adjust salt or other spices to preference. If the sauce is too acidic, add1 tsp/3g granulated sugar (optional).
- Removefrom heat and add in the “meatballs”. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and nutritionalyeast if desired.
- Serveimmediately. Great over couscous, cooked quinoa, pasta, rice, or just as anappetizer.