A really delicious and easy recipe for vegan chickpea meatballs made with a mix of mushrooms, herbs and spices that you bind together with a healthy vegan egg substitute and some chickpea flour.
I served them with whole wheat spaghetti and this to die for tomato sauce the first night, then we had them with pesto the next day. Don’t make me choose a favorite!
There are many different variations of plant based meatballs we are going to tackle soon. Think walnuts, lentils, quinoa, cannellini beans, tempeh, brown rice, oats, eggplant, zucchini, the hardest part is deciding what to choose and mix together. In any case, don’t forget to sprinkle some of this vegan parmesan cheese over the top!
We love, love, love chickpeas and mushrooms so I most likely have these ingredients on hand at all times, which is how this recipe happened.
why we love these chickpea meatballs:
Easy
Gluten free
Soy-free
Super delicious
Hearty & Filling
Great leftovers
Cruelty-free
As always, if you make this recipe remember to snap a photo and tag it with #VeggieSociety on Instagram.
Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
An easy recipe for vegan meatballs made with a mix of chickpeas, mushrooms, herbs and spices that you bind together with a healthy vegan egg substitute and some chickpea flour.
Servings 6 people
Calories 137kcal
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb mushrooms
- 2 x 15 oz cans chickpeas -drained
- 5-6 cloves garlic - grated
- 1/2 onion - diced
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tbsp smoked paprika ( or to taste)
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley - chopped
- 1/4 cup chives - snipped
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour + more if needed
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs ( you can use a gluten- free option )
Vegan Egg Substitute:
- 2.5 tbsp ground flax and chia mix
- 5 tbsp water
Instructions
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large skillet and sauté the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent.
- Meanwhile add the mushrooms to a food processor and chop them up in small pieces. Add them to the pan with the onion and toss to coat well. Sauté together for a few minutes until wilted and most of the water has evaporated.
- Mix in the garlic and stir well. Add the oregano, garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, parsley, chives and nutritional yeast. Mix well and remove from flame.
- Meanwhile add the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor and chop until a rustic texture is achieved. You don’t want a purée just a nice chop throughout.
- Transfer the chopped chickpeas and the mushroom mixture to a large bowl with the chickpea flour and bread crumbs.
- Combine the ground flax chia mixture with the water and add it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Use a spatula and mix to combine well. Season to your taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Wet your hand or use a drop of olive to coat them. Form meatballs the size of gold balls and place them on a large tray. At this point you can pan sear or bake them.
Stove Top Method:
- Heat up a cast iron skillet over medium high flame and add a drizzle of olive. Place a few meatballs on top a couple of inches apart. Cook until golden brown to your liking rolling them around in the pan to get all sides.
Oven Method:
- Preheat your oven to 450”F
- Bake the meatballs for about 25 turning them over carefully half way.Meanwhile prepare your favorite pasta, warm up the sauce and serve with the meatballs on top.
Notes
Please use a type mushroom you like to ensure you will love the final recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1230IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2.9mg
Environmental Information
Go Vegan:
Tomato Sauce
Pumpkin Carrot Cake
Chickpea Tuna Salad
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Made these meatless balls with your authentic tomato sauce and dinner was bomb ? At least that’s what my kids say, so thank you I’ll be making this again soon, definitely a keeper.
I feel like I’m reverse engineering, but can I substitute 2 eggs for the flax/chia/water combination? Just interested … the meatballs are quite delicious, as vegan.
How about using whipped aquafaba instead (the liquid from canned chickpeas) ? Works like a dream 🙂