Get ready to enjoy hardy texture and savory flavor of these homemade vegan meatballs. Packed with protein and fiber, these meatballs can be made in under 30 minutes. They are perfect for your weeknight dinner or your next vegan pasta night. This recipe doesn’t include pasta instructions, but we have faith that you can tackle the difficult task of boiling noodles. We did, however, provide a simple marinara sauce, which you may want to doctor up to your liking.
The great thing about the sauce and the vegan black bean meatballs is that you can make them your own. For example, if you want to give the meatballs and Italian flair, add up to one teaspoon each of dried oregano and parsley flakes. If you want to impart a flavor that helps the meatballs mimic the flavor of Italian sausage, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds and a half teaspoon of dried basil. You can continue experimenting with flavors to the point where you transform this recipe into sweet and sour meatballs. We do have to say that once you venture outside of the Italian flavor profile, you may want to ditch the marinara sauce. Teriyaki meatballs may not go great with a red sauce!
Once you make the meatballs, you have to bake them in the oven. The meatballs require about 20 minutes to bake, during which you make the sauce. Let that sauce simmer the entire time the meatballs are baking in the oven and then introduce them to the sauce directly after baking. Simmer on the stove for an additional five minutes or so and then serve with the sauce.
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:20m
- Total Time:35m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 (14oz can) black beans
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/3 c almond flour
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c onion, diced
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28oz can) low-sodium crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp. basil, chopped
- 1 tsp. oregano
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- sea salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 350º F and drain and rinse the black beans thoroughly. If you want to go the extra mile, pat the drained beans dry between some paper towels.
- Add the beans and the remaining meatball ingredients to a food processor and pulse until evenly blended. You want the mixture to retain some texture.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll the blended mixture into bite-size balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack for a total of 20 minutes, pulling them out halfway through to flip each ball over.
- Remove from the oven once finished and then add them to the pan with sauce, which is detailed next.
For the Sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before pouring in the crushed tomatoes.
- Stir and then add the basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sea salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are done cooking.
- Add the meatballs to the saucepan and simmer for about five minutes. Serve and enjoy.
