Vegan Meatballs with Spaghetti (2024)

These vegan meatballs are the perfect comfort food. They’re really easy to make, so delicious, and incredibly healthy! Serve them with spaghetti for a quick and easy dinner.

Why This Recipe Works

Kidney beans, rolled oats, and ground sunflower seeds give the plant-based meatballs an amazing texture and add lots of protein.

What I really love about this recipe is that the meatballs keep their form and don’t crumble when being baked or cooked. However, do not expect them to have the exact same texture as real meatballs.

You can serve them warm or cold. I like them even better when they’re cold because this way they have a firmer texture.

The recipe is very budget-friendly. Especially if you use dried kidney beans and cook them yourself, for example in your Instant Pot. This recipe is perfect if you’re eating on a budget!

The ingredient list for this recipe is pretty short. No hard to find or fancy ingredients. You can find all of the ingredients in any regular grocery store.

This recipe is one ofmy all-time favorites and I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from readers as well.

What Goes Into This Recipe:

• Kidney Beans – I usually use canned kidney beans, but you could also use dried beans and cook them in your Instant Pot.
• Soy Sauce – Use low sodium soy sauce if you want or tamari for a gluten-free version.
• Rolled Oats – Don’t use quick quick cooking oats. You need rolled oats for the right texture.

How to Make This Recipe

1. Step:Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.

2. Step:Rinse and drain the kidney beans. Put them in a medium bowl and mash them well with a fork or a potato masher.

3. Step: In a medium pan, heat some oil and sauté the onions for 3 minutes.Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Step:Put the sunflower seeds in a food processor.

5. Step: Pulse until a fine meal is achieved.

6. Step: Add the sauteed onion and garlic to the mashed beans together with the spices, the tomato paste, the soy sauce, the ground sunflower seeds, and the oats. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Step: Use your hands to thoroughly mix everything. Then form about 12-14 vegan meatballs. (Please note that I doubled the recipe for the photos, so there are more meatballs).

8. Step: Preheat the oven to 350 °Fbake the vegan meatballs for about 15 minutes.

9. Step: Carefully turn them halfway through the baking time.They should be crispy on the outside but still a bit soft on the inside. They will get a lot firmer when they cool down.

Pan-Frying Option

Alternatively you could also pan-fry them.In a medium pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat and gently roast the bean balls for about 4 minutes until they are golden.

You’ll achieve the best results with a cast iron pan.

Recipe Notes:

• I prefer to bake the vegan meatballs in the oven. This way they become a lot crispier. Besides, the texture is firmer and you don’t need any oil.
• If you’re short on time, you could pan-fry them as this is quicker. Just be careful when you turn the meatballs.
• I also love to make this recipe for picnics and potlucks. The meatballs become a lot firmer when they’re cold, so they’re the perfect finger food.
• Make sure to sauté the onion and the garlic before you add it to the bean mixture. I’ve tried the recipe without sauteing and didn’t like it because the onions were still crunchy.
• For a gluten-free version, make sure you’re using gluten-free oats and substitute the soy sauce with tamari.

FAQs:

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes, absolutely! To reheat the meatballs, just put them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they’re warmed through.

Could I turn these meatballs into veggie burgers?

Yes, you can make patties out of the bean mixture and bake them in the oven. However, you have to adjust the baking time a bit depending on the size of the burger patties.

Try baking them for 20 minutes instead of 15. Check how they are and bake for another 5 minutes.

Can I substitute the sunflower seeds?

Yes, you could also use almonds instead.

Related Recipes:

• Vegan One Pot Pasta
• Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
• Lemon Asparagus Pasta
• Garlic Mushroom One Pot Pasta

I Love To Hear From You!

I hope you like this recipe as much as we do around here.

If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Justleave me a comment and a star ratingbelow. Your comments really make my day!

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Sina