How to Make Vegan Italian Meatballs
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How to make easy vegan meatballs from scratch with Italian cannellini beans, mashed potatoes and wheat gluten. Baked then finished in an authentic Marinara tomato sauce and served over spaghetti or inside whole-wheat subs.
The wheat gluten in the recipe helps your meatballs bind and stick together nicely so they won’t fall apart in the sauce. No eggs will be needed friends, leave those to the chickens.
Instead of breadcrumbs I used a handful of hemp seeds, because honestly why not ? They are awesome and good for you, we have been in a committed relationship for some time now, so sprinkle them on everything you eat.
And then, let’s not forget about the simple walnut parmesan we made the other day. This is the proper occasion to bring out your jar and sprinkle it like pixie dust! Quilt-free!
How to Serve Vegan Italian Meatballs:
on the antipasto platter
over creamy polenta
with tomato sauce & spaghetti squash
in soups
with this creamy mushroom gravy
brown rice, lentils or quinoa
in an Italian sub.
note: If you love those frozen Gardein meatballs then you might just fall in love with this recipe. Report back, snap a photo and tag us with #VeggieSociety on Instagram.
How to Make Vegan Italian Meatballs
How to make easy vegan Italian meatballs from scratch with cannellini beans, mashed potatoes and wheat gluten.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed potatoes -salted only
- 1/2 cup cannellini beans -cooked & mashed
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup veggie stock
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoke paprika
- 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp sea salt -or to taste
- 1/2 small onion -grated
- 6 cloves garlic -grated
- 2 tbsp dry oregano
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley -chopped
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds -finely chopped
- 4 tbsp hemp hearts (optional)
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper -to taste
For the Subs
- 1 batch Marinara Sauce
- 4 whole wheat buns
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 clove garlic -whole
- 3 tbsp basil leaves (for garnish)
- 4 tbsp vegan walnut parmesan (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F”.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mashed potatoes, beans, wheat gluten, liquid aminos, veggie stock, grated onion and garlic, hemp, parsley and all the spices. Use your hands to mix everything well until combined and a dough like texture is achieved.
- Lightly oil your hands with some olive oil, tear small pieces from the dough and form them into golf size balls. Place them on a large parchment lined rimmed cookie sheet without touching each other.
- Bake the vegan meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Use a pair of kitchen tongues and flip the balls carefully and bake another 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat up the Marinara sauce. Transfer the balls to the simmering sauce and cook for a couple of minutes until warmed through.
- Grill or toast the sub buns to your liking and use the garlic clove to rub the inside of each bun. Spoon some of the sauce on the bottom and add a slice of your favorite vegan cheese.
- Toss the arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt then place some inside each sub. Top with three vegan meatballs, more sauce and a good sprinkling of this walnut parmesan cheese and extra hemp seeds.
Nutrition
Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1443mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1440IU | Vitamin C: 30.8mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 8.1mg
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 466kcal
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Hi,
I cannot get wheat gluten where I live. Can I leave it out?
Thanks.
Hi Cheryl, in this recipe the wheat gluten is essential as it binds everything together and give it the meaty texture we are after. I would suggest maybe making the chickpea meatballs instead that uses flax as a binder. Hope this helps: https://veggiesociety.com/vegan-chickpea-meatballs-recipe/
These turned out really good, I used plain breadcrumbs instead of hemp and added some chopped basil. A keeper but yes you must make the Italian sauce with these.