Vegan Meatballs

These vegan black bean meatballs are simple to prepare, packed with protein, and taste delicious served alongside this aromatic curry gravy or with tons of other dishes. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and perfect for a simple mid-week meal or meal-prep, to be frozen!

Ingredients

Vegan meatballs:

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (250 g)
• ¼ cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
• ½ cup (45 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
• 2 tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ large onion chopped
• 2 tbsp ground chia seeds or flax seeds
• ½ tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Gravy:

• 1 ½ cups (360 ml) vegetable broth or water
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) plant-based cream or canned coconut milk
• 2 tbsp (60 g) tomato paste
• ½ tsp fresh ginger (minced)
• 3 tsp curry powder
• 1 ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (to thicken)
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

Prepare mashed potatoes or make your favorite pasta or rice (whatev¹er you want to serve with your vegan meatballs).

Vegan meatballs:

• Put all the meatball ingredients (except oil) into a food processor (or blender) and pulse a couple of times. Scrape down the sides and pulse again. Repeat for about one minute or until the mixture sticks together in a thick paste.
• Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. I used 1 tbsp per ball (the recipe makes about 15 balls).
• Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet and fry the balls for about 6-8 minutes over medium heat. Shake the pan from time to time to fry the balls evenly on all sides.
• Transfer the balls onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Gravy:

• To make the gravy, add the tomato paste to a pan (use the same pan which you used for the meatless balls), pour in the plant-based cream, and stir with a whisk to smooth out the tomato paste. Then slowly add the vegetable broth, while stirring.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, add all other ingredients (except cornstarch and fresh parsley) and allow it to simmer over medium heat for 10-12 minutes (the longer you simmer the gravy, the more flavorful and thicker it will be).
• In a small bowl mix cornstarch with a little bit of water into a ‘slurry’ and then add it to the pan. The gravy will get a little bit thicker. Keep simmering for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the gravy over the meat-free balls and serve with either mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice! Store leftovers of the gravy and meatballs (separated) in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes:

• Feel free to use fewer spices for the gravy if you don’t like it too spicy.
• If you don’t have a food processor/blender, then you can add the ingredient to a bowl and use a potato masher or fork. It will be a chunkier consistency but will work.
• If the meatball mixture is a little wet when trying to form the balls, add a little more oats and/or allow the mixture to chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. You can also lightly oil your hands when rolling the meatballs to avoid sticking.
• Read the recipe and ingredient notes section in the blog post above for more suggestions and top tips! You can also find additional serving suggestions. 
• Recipe serves 3. Nutrition facts are for one serving (without the mashed potatoes).

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