These vegan meatballs are cheap, easy to make, and are packed with plant-based protein. They have an incredibly meaty texture, thanks to textured vegetable protein (TVP), and will taste great with your next pasta dinner or in a meatball sub.
It has been about two weeks since the coronavirus quarantine began here in New York. A lot of us have been eating more pantry-staples like rice, lentils, pasta, canned beans, etc. Because of this, I’m planning on sharing recipes over the next several weeks (or several months… 😬) that are pantry-friendly, as well as ways to spice up your pantry-staples. Today’s recipe is a bit of both!
These vegan meatballs are the perfect way to jazz up your pasta dishes, and they are also made with pantry-friendly ingredients. Textured vegetable protein (TVP) makes up the base of these meatballs, which is a very affordable, high-protein pantry-staple for vegans and vegetarians to have on hand.
What is Textured Vegetable Protein?
Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is a dehydrated soy product that is often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes to replace ground beef. It is virtually flavorless, which means it will absorb any flavor you desire. But it also means that you must add spices to it for it to taste good, so do not skimp on the spices!!!
I use the Bob’s Red Mills brand of TVP, but any TVP will work. Large grocery stores will most likely carry TVP in the health food section. I get mine from Wegmans here in Rochester, and I’ve never had a problem finding it. If you don’t have it on hand and you don’t plan on making a grocery store trip, there are many TVP options available on Amazon.
How to cook Textured Vegetable Protein?
Bring some water or vegetable broth (I highly recommend using veggie broth) to a boil, remove from heat, stir in the TVP, cover with a lid, and let sit about 5-8 minutes. The TVP will be soft, fluffy, and ready to use in a recipe.
How to make vegan meatballs
- Hydrate the TVP with vegetable broth.
- Cook the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add in the TVP and spices, and cook until the mixture is thick.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast.
- Roll the mixture into balls and bake!
Eat these meatballs on spaghetti, on subs or sandwiches, or on their own! These will keep in the fridge for about 10 days, and they are freezer-friendly!
If you like this recipe, you will also love…
- Simple Vegan Tacos (also made with TVP)
- Vegan Chili Cheese Dogs (with TVP chili sauce)
- Vegan Pastitsio
If you make this recipe, leave it a rating and a comment! You can also tag me @Daughter_of_Seitan on Instagram so I can see your lovely food creations. XOXO
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Vegan Meatballs (TVP)
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 balls 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan meatballs are cheap, easy to make, and are packed with plant-based protein. They have a meaty texture, thanks to textured vegetable protein (TVP), and will taste great with your next pasta dinner or on a meatball sub.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup vegan breadcrumbs (sub all-purpose flour)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot. Remove from heat, add the dry TVP, give it a stir, and cover with a lid. Let sit for 5-8 minutes until fully hydrated.
- Heat up a little oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the hydrated TVP to the pan along with the tomato paste, soy sauce, oregano, basil, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes until the mixture is very thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, until the mixture is cool enough to handle. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and slowly stir in nutritional yeast and bread crumbs until evenly combined.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roll the mixture into balls using about 1.5–2 tablespoons. If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 400F for 25 minutes until the meatballs are firm and golden. Alternatively, you could pan fry these over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, rolling the meatballs around every minute to evenly brown.
- Serve these meatballs over spaghetti, on subs and sandwiches, or enjoy on their own. These keep in the fridge for up to 10 days, and they are freezer-friendly!
Keywords: Vegan Meatballs, Textured Vegetable Protein, TVP, High Protein Vegan Meals
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