Description
A recipe for plant-based meatballs made from chickpeas and quinoa, served over soft, creamy polenta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water (flax egg)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth (for simmering)
- 1 cup quick-cooking polenta (corn grits)
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth (for polenta)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (for polenta)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (for polenta)
Instructions
- Combine the rinsed chickpeas, cooked quinoa, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, flax egg mixture, chopped onion, minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until it forms a coarse, slightly sticky dough. Do not over-process into a paste.
- Roll the mixture into small, uniform balls, about 1.5 inches in diameter. You should have about 16-18 meatballs.
- Place the meatballs in a wide, shallow pan. Pour the 1 cup of vegetable broth over them.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan and cook the meatballs for 10 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they firm up.
- While the meatballs simmer, prepare the polenta. Bring 3 cups of water or broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Slowly whisk in the polenta according to package directions, usually pouring it in a steady stream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the polenta thickens, usually 5-7 minutes for quick-cooking types.
- Stir the plant milk and vegan butter into the cooked polenta until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the cooked meatballs immediately over a bed of the creamy polenta.
Notes
- For a firmer meatball, you can bake them at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes before simmering in broth.
- If you do not have flaxseed meal, you can substitute with 1/4 cup of mashed cooked sweet potato for binding.
- Use vegetable broth instead of water when cooking the polenta for richer flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering and Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs and 1 cup polenta
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 75
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: vegan, chickpea, quinoa, meatballs, polenta, plant-based, vegetarian, main dish