Vegan Meatballs
Whether served as an appetizer, main dish, or on a sub sandwich, these fabulous veggie barbecue balls will be a hit! Last week, I took a batch to a company dinner and a family reunion, and they got rave reviews!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 273kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked bulgur
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (equals 2-3 slices of bread)
- 1-1/2 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
- marinara or barbecue sauce
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 on the stovetop or in a rice cooker in about 15-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.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with marinara and serve over pasta or on subs. Or drizzle barbecue sauce over top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to serve as an appetizer.
- If you like them really 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.
Video
Notes
Tips & Suggestions:
I have included step-by-step photos and directions above to ensure your first attempt will be successful.
Make them gluten-free- Subbed the bulgur with buckwheat groats, quinoa, and brown rice 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.
Storage- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. They also freeze well.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 10.2g | Fat: 5.3g | Fiber: 11g