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vegan meatballs with tempeh
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Meatballs

These vegan meatballs are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and seasoned with Italian herbs. Served over over spaghetti with herb-infused tomato sauce, these "meatballs" will leave you not only full, but also feeling wonderfully satisfied.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories:

Ingredients

Vegan Meatballs

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 (8-oz) block tempeh, diced
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8-10 cremini mushrooms, diced
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free)
  • 1 flax egg*
  • 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • sea salt, to taste

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 (25-oz) jar crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Vegan Meatballs

  • Preheat airfryer or oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare flax egg in a small dish.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add tempeh and soy sauce, Brown the tempeh for a few minutes. (You might need to add a little bit of olive oil to the pan so the tempeh doesn't stick).
  • In the meantime, add sunflower seeds to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Then add the browned tempeh to the food processor and pulse it a few times to breaks down.
  • In the same skillet that the tempeh was browning, heat 1 Tbsp, (15 ml) of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sweat them out for about 3 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Then add mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt. When the mushrooms start releasing water, add the dried oregano, basil, and black pepper. Keep sauteing until all the liquid from mushrooms evaporates.
  • Add sautéd garlic, onion, mushrooms, and all the other ingredients (flax egg, breadcrumbs, and nutritional yeast) to the food processor with sunflower seeds and tempeh, and pulse a few times until all the ingredients are well combined.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The tempeh will come across as a little bitter, but once baked, it should be far less apparent.
  • Scoop out 1-2 Tbsp of dough and roll into balls. If using airfryer, place the meatballs in the airfryer basket and slide the basket in the airfryer. Air-fry for 15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown., If using oven, place the balls onto a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. If you pan-fried the meatballs first, you'll only need to bake them for about 15 minutes.
  • At this time, prepare the tomato sauce and any pasta your want to serve the meatballs with.

Tomato Sauce

  • In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and red chili pepper flakes and sauté for about 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and simmer for 30 minutes. When the tomatoes begin to break down, coarsely crush them using a potato masher. Season with salt and black pepper.

Assemble

  • Place the meatballs in the tomato sauce, cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, turning them a few times during cooking.
  • Serve meatballs and tomato sauce over pasta or with fresh bread.
  • Store leftover meatballs with sauce covered in the refrigerator for a few days, though best when fresh. 

Notes

*You can make flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp. (7 g) flaxseed meal with 2.5 Tbsp. (37.5 ml) water.