Simple Vegan Meatballs (2024)

When I was in college I lived in a shady apartment complex in Wichita. Thelaundry room was in a separate building, which meant I had to lugmy clothes back andforth in the rain or shine to ensure I didn’t run out of presentable clothing for work and school.

Society, why do you impose such harsh rules on us?

Well, that lasted about a month. Before long I was trucking it back to my dad’s house just 20 minutes away where he’d often cook me dinner while I was folding my socks.

(Just kidding. Who folds their socks? Ugh, Rhonda. You would.)

If your dad is anything like mine, he’s all about simple, hearty meals.

Spaghettiwas one of his specialties. A little pasta, a lotta sauce, and a considerable amount of meatiness.

In fact, one evening (whilst doing laundry), I had two platefuls then promptly passed out on his couch from sheer exhaustion. My father proceeded to fold all of my clothes for me and wake me up with a kiss on the forehead reminding me it was time to go home.

Aren’t dads the best? Mine is.

I still love spaghetti and crave it almost weekly.

And thegood news is, meatless meatballs can taste just asdelicious and areevenhealthier than their meaty counterparts. Who knew?

Origin of Meatballs

These days, meatballs are enjoyed all over the world and come in many different forms. But it’s believed that the idea originated from Persian meatballs known as kofta.

Our plant-based take on meatballs most closely resembles the flavors of Italian-American meatballs which are made with breadcrumbs and herbs. The story of Italian-American meatballs says that Italian immigrants served them with spaghetti and tomato sauce to make the dish more filling without much additional cost.

How to Make Tempeh Meatballs

These meatballs are based with tempeh, which is made from fermented soy beans.

I know, sounds suspicious. But thinkof nutritious soy beans processed in a way that makes it like tofu, but less processed. (More info here.) This not only means it’s firmer to work with, but also more nutritionally dense! One 4 ounce serving contains ~20grams of protein.

WHAT? Now that’s a meatball.

Simple Vegan Meatballs

10-ingredient vegan meatballs with tons of flavor and simple preparation. Perfect atop pasta or on their own in your favorite marinara sauce.

Author Minimalist Baker

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

FOR MEATBALLS

1/2 cup white onion (minced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
8 ounces tempeh* (or as recipe is written, sub 1 heaping cup rinsed and drained chickpeas for similar result)
1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasonings (or 1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional)
1/2 cup vegan bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters // or sub almond meal)
2 Tbsp your favorite marinara or tomato sauce
Olive oil (for sautéing)
Salt & pepper (to taste)

FOR COATING

1/3 cup vegan bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters)
1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and prepare flax egg in a small dish by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let it rest for a few minutes.
In a large, deep skillet, sauté onion and garlic in 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) over medium heat until soft and translucent – about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Add tempeh to food processor and pulse to break down. Then add sautéed garlic, onion, and remaining ingredients (except olive oil) and mix, scraping down sides as needed. You want it to form into a moldable “dough.”
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The tempeh will come across as a little bitter, but once coated, baked and served with marinara it’s not nearly as apparent.
NOTE: Depending on how salty your vegan parmesan cheese is, you may need to add a little salt and pepper at this point. However, I didn’t find it necessary.
Scoop out 1 Tbsp amounts of dough and roll into balls. At this time, heat the same skillet you used earlier to medium heat.
Mix remaining bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish. Add tempeh balls one or two at a time and roll to coat.
Add enough olive oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of your hot skillet, then add your coated tempeh balls in two batches, as to not crowd the pan. Brown for about 5 minutes total, shaking the pan to roll them around to brown all sides.
Add browned meatballs to a baking sheet and add to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or longer if desired for a crispier result.
At this time, prep any pasta your want to serve with your meatballs, as well as your favorite marinara sauce (I love this pizza sauce).
Once meatballs are deep golden brown and fairly firm to the touch, remove from oven.
To serve, top cooked pasta with meatballs and pour over marinara sauce. Top with another sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.

Video

Notes

*Though I haven’t tried it myself, you can steam or boil tempeh for ~15 minutes before use to neutralize its flavor. However, I didn’t find it necessary.
*Heavily adapted from One Green Planet
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 22 servings)

Serving: 1 meatball Calories: 58 Carbohydrates: 4.1 g Protein: 3.3 g Fat: 3.6 g Saturated Fat: 0.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1.7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 73 mg Potassium: 88 mg Fiber: 0.9 g Sugar: 0.7 g Vitamin A: 6 IU Vitamin C: 0.7 mg Calcium: 15.8 mg Iron: 0.5 mg