Vegan Meatball Italian Sub
This delightfully messy vegan meatball sub is bursting with flavor, featuring hearty plant-based meatballs and rich marinara sauce on a soft sub roll. It’s the perfect comfort food that’s both satisfying and completely plant-based!
Vegan comfort food has never tasted so good! The vegan meatballs in this healthy Italian hoagie are made with wholesome ingredients like whole oats, bulgur grain, onions, tomatoes, walnuts, warm spices, and more. They can be used to make this spaghetti and meatballs recipe that is vegan and oil-free.
If you like healthy comfort vegan food like this recipe, we have plenty more on this website like crockpot bean chili and one-pot vegan chili mac.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Packed with Flavor – This vegan meatball Italian sub features hearty, savory plant-based meatballs paired with a rich marinara sauce for a deliciously bold taste.
- Protein-Rich – Made with plant-based protein from bulgur wheat and rolled oats these meatballs provide a filling and nutritious option for a satisfying meal.
- Perfect for Lunch or Dinner – This easy-to-make vegan Italian sub is great for feeding a crowd or enjoying a wholesome meal any time of day.
Ingredients you will need
- Cooked Bulgur- It has a hearty, chewy texture that mimics the consistency of traditional meatballs. It also absorbs flavors well, ensuring that your meatballs are flavorful throughout.
- Breadcrumbs- Whole wheat breadcrumbs help bind the ingredients together, creating a firm and cohesive texture. They also add a subtle, nutty flavor and extra fiber, making the meatballs more nutritious.
- Rolled oats- Act as a natural binder, helping to hold the meatballs together without the need for eggs or other animal-based ingredients.
- Tomatoes- Fire-roasted tomatoes add a deep, smoky flavor to vegan meatballs, enhancing their taste and giving them a richer, more complex profile. The natural sweetness and slight char of fire-roasted tomatoes complement the savory ingredients.
- Veggies- Garlic, onions, celery, bell pepper, and carrots add texture and flavor.
- Walnuts- Provide a rich, meaty texture that closely mimics ground meat. Their natural oils add moisture, preventing the meatballs from being dry, while their earthy flavor enhances the overall taste of the dish.
- Seasonings- Soy sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme, and sage round out the robust flavor profile.
- Marinara- Its rich, tangy tomato base complements the savory flavors of the meatballs, adding depth and moisture. We have some great suggestions for easy oil-free marinara below.
What is bulgur?
Bulgur is a whole wheat grain that is cooked exactly like rice in about 15 minutes. I like to make a big batch of it in my rice cooker and freeze it for use in recipes like this one, spaghetti, vegetable lasagna, and vegan bean nachos.
This amazing grain adds a crumbly ground beef texture and soaks up the flavors of the dishes you’re preparing. We have a great article all about bulgur and recipes to use it in.
How to make a vegan meatball sub
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
Begin by cooking the bulgur according to the package directions. It cooks in the microwave, on the stove, or in a rice cooker. The microwave only takes about 7 minutes.
Though it calls for bulgur, a number of people have told me that they’ve subbed with buckwheat groats, quinoa, brown rice, and barley and it still comes out good.
STEP #2: Dice the veggies–onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and walnuts. One tip here is that a blender or food processor makes it easy to make bread crumbs. It’s also great for chopping walnuts.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (including the fully cooked bulgur). Mix with a spoon, or do as I do, and use your hands to mix thoroughly.
STEP #3: Form into balls and place on a baking sheet. If the mixture seems too wet, add a few more oats.
If it seems too dry, add a little bit of the juice drained from tomatoes or water. These should hold together to form balls pretty well.
STEP #4: Bake at 350°F for approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
If you like them extra firm, I suggest refrigerating them once they are cooked so they have more time to set up. When they are reheated, the texture is even denser.
STEP #5: Stacking the layers of flavorful meatballs, veggies, and marinara is my favorite part of making this vegan sandwich.
I use a sourdough oil-free sub roll from a local Amish bakery near me. For those of you who like to bake your own bread, I found this oil-free Simple Sourdough Bread recipe from Don’t Waste the Crumbs.
Start assembling the sandwich by stacking your favorite veggies as the first layer. I used fresh spinach leaves, tomato, and purple onion slices.
Next, pile on the freshly baked vegan meatballs. I also added a few slices of my Easy Cashew Mozzarella Cheese, but that is completely optional.
Now, this vegan meatball sandwich is ready to serve for dinner, a party, or game-day food with friends. Believe me, everyone is going to love it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Buckwheat groats could be substituted for the bulgur and gluten-free breadcrumbs could be used to make these gluten-free. You will need a gluten-free bun as well, and be sure to check the label on any of the ingredients used.
A classic marinara or tomato-based sauce works best for vegan spaghetti and meatballs. If you would like to make your own, we have a great oil-free marinara sauce recipe on this website.
For store-bought options, the Aldi discount grocery store has an organic oil-free marinara brand called Simply Nature. Another great oil-free marinara is the DeLallo Fat-Free Brand. It can be ordered on Amazon and delivered straight to your door. I actually love this particular brand.
Yes, you can prepare the meatballs ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to 3 months and reheat them when ready to use in your Italian sub.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Vegan Meatball Italian Sub
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 cups cooked bulgur
- 1.5 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (equals 2-3 slices of bread)
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes (with juice drained and reserved)
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sticks celery diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 3/4 cup carrot diced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- sea salt to your taste
Sandwich
- oil-free hoagie loafs
- veggies such as lettuce spinach, tomatoes, onions
- Easy Cashew Mozzarella Cheese optional
- marinara or barbecue sauce
Instructions
Meatball Instructions
- Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. Parchment paper makes clean up so much easier with this recipe.
- Cook bulgur according to package directions. It cooks in the microwave, on the stove, or in a rice cooker. The microwave only takes about 7 minutes.
- Dice all veggies–onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and walnuts.
- Mix all ingredients in a very large bowl. You can use a spoon, but I prefer to use my hands to thoroughly blend ingredients.
- Form into balls and place on a baking sheet. If the mixture seems too wet, add a few more oats. If it seems too dry, add a little bit of the juice drained from tomatoes or water. These should hold together to form balls pretty well.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 25-30 minutes.
- To make these meatballs even firmer, cook a day ahead and refrigerate. When they are reheated, the texture is very firm and the flavors have had time to marry and are fabulous.
Sandwich Assembly Instructions
- Start by stacking your favorite sandwich veggies as the first layer. I use fresh spinach leaves, tomato, and purple onion slices.
- Next, pile on the freshly baked vegan meatballs. I also added a few slices of my Easy Cashew Mozzarella Cheese, but that is completely optional.
- Lastly, smother the sandwich ingredients with your favorite marinara sauce. Options are included in the article above.
- Now, this vegan meatball sandwich is ready to serve for dinner, a party, or game day food with friends. Believe me, everyone is going to love it!
Video
Notes
- Make firmer- The vegan meatballs firm up even more after refrigerating them.
- Make them gluten-free- Subbed the bulgur with buckwheat groats, quinoa, brown rice, and barley for gluten-free options. Just be mindful to use gluten-free breadcrumbs and oats, as well as tamari in place of the soy sauce for the whole recipe.
- Marinara options- A classic marinara or tomato-based sauce works best for vegan spaghetti and meatballs. If you would like to make your own, we have a great oil-free marinara sauce recipe on this website. For store-bought options, the Aldi discount grocery store has an organic oil-free marinara brand called Simply Nature. Another great oil-free marinara is the DeLallo Fat-Free Brand. It can be ordered on Amazon and delivered straight to your door. I actually love this particular brand.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Made the meatballs and enjoyed them a lot. Had a wonderful meatball sandwich. Then had pasta and meatballs for another meal.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Lucille- I’m so glad you liked the meatballs! I love that they are so versatile for hoagies and even pasta. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Looks good. I am getting ready to make. However, there are a couple of discrepancies. Your notes say… Dice the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, carrots.
The list of ingredients says onion, celery, green peppers….no garlic or carrots.
Please advise. Thanks
Hi Lucille- Good catch on that! Yes, I do use 3/4 cup diced or grated carrots and 2 cloves of minced garlic in these meatballs. Either or both of them could be left out if preferred. I’ve updated the recipe card now with that information. Thanks so much for letting me know. Much appreciated!