Meatless Meatballs Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S MEATLESS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to the hot oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook and stir until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Stir butter into mushrooms, reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir mushrooms until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir onion into mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir garlic into mushroom mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
• Mix oats into mushroom mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently stir 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into mixture. Add bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1 egg; season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Mix together with a fork until crumbly. Stir in remaining 1 egg. Mixture should hold together when pressed.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. For best flavor and texture, refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Form mixture into small meatballs using a 2-tablespoon scoop. Roll meatballs lightly between your hands until smooth, if desired; arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Bring pasta sauce to a boil in a large saucepan; reduce heat to low. Gently stir meatballs into sauce until coated. Simmer meatballs in sauce until cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 tablespoon parsley.

MEATLESS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• First cook the brown lentils according to the packet instructions and set them aside in a bowl. If using ready-cooked lentils, you need 250g. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion and carrot. Cook them over a low heat until the onion has softened, then add the spinach or chard. Continue to cook until the greens have wilted and softened - if using spinach, cook it until any liquid evaporates. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the spices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice and the parsley to the bowl with the lentils, then the cooked vegetables. Stir in the egg and the mixture should clump together. Form the mixture into 12 balls of about 40g each and arrange them on a baking tray. Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Put the tomato sauce in a large, shallow flameproof casserole dish or a deep frying pan and stir in the harissa paste, some of the parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the lentil and spinach balls in a single layer. Cover the dish with a lid and heat through on the hob for a few minutes until everything is piping hot. Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve at once.

VEGETARIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium pot, add the lentils and 2 quarts water. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the lentils until soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes.
• Pour the cooked lentils through a colander and let cool. In a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat, saute the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and salt with the 1/4 cup olive oil until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
• When the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stir in the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, about 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until completely cooked and browned on edges, about 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from frying pan and set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled vegetables with lentils and all remaining ingredients, save for the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pesto. Mix until well combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large 9-by-12-inch baking dish, making sure to coat evenly. Roll the lentil mixture into round, golf-ball-size meatballs, making sure to pack the balls firmly. Place lentil balls into the oiled baking dish, making sure none of the meatballs touch one another.
• Roast the lentil balls until firm and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Allow the meatballs to cool for five minutes before removing them from the tray. Serve with pesto.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the walnuts out on a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and roast until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Set the nuts aside to cool.
• Fill a large stockpot three-quarters of the way full with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Next, fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Drop the spinach and basil into boiling water and give the leaves a stir. After 1 minute, remove the greens and plunge them into ice water. Discard the boiling water.
• Once cool, remove the greens from the ice bath and squeeze them dry. Give them a rough chop and transfer to a food processor.
• Add the salt, olive oil and Parmesan to the food processor and blend until a uniform, pesto-like consistency is reached.

MEATLESS MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, tamari, salt, pepper, oregano and red-pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add plant-based beef, and blend with your hands until well mixed. Cover mixture and chill for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. (It's easiest to form the meatballs when the mixture is very cold.)
• Heat the broiler. Form 28 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Transfer meatballs to one or two rimmed baking sheets, and drizzle with olive oil.
• Broil meatballs until golden and firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a pot. Serve meatballs with sauce on top, showered with cheese if you like and drizzled with a little more olive oil.

MEATLESS "MEATBALLS"

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray 15x10x1-inch pan.
• In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Shape mixture into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place in pan.
• Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until brown.

MEATLESS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine mozzarella cheese, eggs, cracker crumbs, pecans, onion soup mix, and celery salt in a large bowl. Form mixture into small meatballs.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan. Cook meatballs in batches until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a baking sheet lined paper towels.
• Transfer meatballs to a large slow cooker. Cover with cream of mushroom soup. Use the empty can to measure and pour in milk. Cook on Low until flavors combine and soup mixture thickens, 30 minutes to 2 hours.

SPICY MEATLESS MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Grind oats in a food processor until fine. Add cooked rice and milk; mix until pureed. Add onions, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, eggs, flour, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; pulse until thoroughly combined.
• Roll about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture to make about 48 meatballs. Place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop meatballs in batches into the hot oil, and fry until heated through and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.