Description
Learn how easy it is to make delicious Vegan Eggplant Meatballs from scratch! Serve as classic spaghetti and meatballs, or add them to your favorite hoagie and make an epic Vegan Meatball Sub. All you need is 10 simple ingredients, plus spices!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (or flaxseed meal)
- 3 tablespoons water
- Oil, for cooking
- 1 cup white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 unpeeled Italian eggplant, diced
- 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley, packed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil, packed
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- Optional: 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the chia egg. Combine the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside for about 15 minutes until the chia egg thickens.
- Preheat and prep. Preheat a convection oven to 375°F or 400°F if using a conventional oven. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Once heated, add the onions and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Sauté the eggplant. In the same pan, add the diced eggplant and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is soft and has reduced by about half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add additional oil if needed to prevent burning or sticking.
- Combine the veggies and garbanzo beans. Remove the pan from heat and add the garbanzo beans. Mix until everything is uniform.
- Process in batches. Transfer half of the eggplant mixture to a large cup food processor and pulse until chopped and uniform (be careful not to puree!). Once chopped, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and repeat the process with the remaining mixture.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add the chia egg, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, spices, and optional liquid smoke to the bowl with the pulsed eggplant mixture. Using a spatula or clean hands, mix until well combined and uniform. Taste and add additional salt as needed.
- Form the meatballs. Using a cookie scooper, scoop the meatball mixture into uniform-sized meatballs (we make ours about 1.5 tablespoons large). Place them on the lined baking sheet as you go, leaving 1/2-1 inch of space between each. We yielded 34 meatballs that were about 1 inch in diameter.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the eggplant meatballs are firm and golden brown, about 24-30 minutes.
- Serve. Allow the vegetarian eggplant meatballs to cool directly on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then serve as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: This can be made gluten-free with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Oil: You can cook the vegetables with water instead of oil if desired.
- Storage: Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To refrigerate, cool completely and then layer in an airtight container. Seal tightly, then store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve.
- To freeze, cool completely, then place the baking sheet in the freezer. Allow the meatballs to freeze for 1-2 hours, or until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a convection oven.
- We have also tested this recipe in an air fryer and stovetop and found that the oven yields the best results. We prefer to use a convection oven for these, but they still work well if you have a regular oven!
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven