Description
A delicious vegan meatball recipe that is easy to prepare, full of flavour, and makes enough to freeze! Pan fry or bake until golden!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced (can use red onion)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup TVP (dry, 150 g)*
- 3/4 cup split red lentils (rinsed, 144 g dry)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (homemade for the best savings)
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional, about 10 g)*
- 1 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (98 g, I use panko but Italian should work)
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat a dash of oil, water, or broth. Sauté minced onion for 3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another two minutes until fragrant.
- Add the dry TVP, rinsed red lentils, broth, and tamari. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes until nearly all of the broth has been absorbed and the lentils are cooked.
- Turn off the heat and add the nutritional yeast, basil, salt, and parsley (or any other chopped fresh herbs you are using). Finally, stir in the breadcrumbs.
- When cool enough to handle, scoop a heaping tablespoon or cookie scoop amount of the mixture and roll it into a ball between your palms. To get 40-42 meatballs I make them about 1 ½ inch in diameter and 1 oz in weight.
- To pan fry: brush your pan with olive oil and fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove them from the pan, heat your sauce, and add the meatballs back in before serving.
- To bake: arrange on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes turning halfway through. (Alternatively, air fry for 10 minutes at 350 F, turning halfway through).
- To freeze: arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Transfer to a freezer safe bag or container for longer storage. Cook from frozen on a frying pan or bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. Air fry frozen meatballs at 350 F for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Serve with your favourite pasta and sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and my Quick Vegan "Parmesan Cheese"!
Notes
Approximate Cost: Just over $8 Canadian without fresh parsley vs $20 for 2 lbs of ground beef from my local grocery store and around $8-$10 for 2 lbs ground beef from my wholesale store.
Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed. About ¼ cup of psyllium husk powder could serve as an alternative gluten-free binder but I haven’t tried this myself.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian