Vegan Meatballs

Vegan meatballs. Probably nothing has frustrated me more than creating a delectable vegan meatball, much less nailing down a recipe for one that (1) tastes fantastic (2) doesn't require lots of ingredients (3) is incredibly cheap to make (4) is easy to prepare (5) baked, not fried.

A tall order if you ask me. There were lots of trials and errors. Lots of errors.
Pasty meatballs, beany meatballs, meatballs that stuck to the pan, meatballs that required $412 dollars worth of mushrooms that only grew in peat located in an obscure Irish county. . . .
Bah! 

But the moment I made this mixture and tasted it, I stomped my size 11 foot and pumped my fist.
Yess!! Here we go, baby!

Best of all, this one requires only SIX ingredients.

The secret to these super-tasty vegan meatballs are the sun dried tomatoes which add richness and that “umami" flavor that we all know and love. The sweetness of the sun dried tomatoes completely annihilates any hint of "beany" flavor and supplants it with a rich unctuousness.

And, please. Do not even think about using sun dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil. The oil from the jar is the only fat contained in this recipe.
Ride the wave. 

All the salt and spices come from the vegetable bouillon paste. My personal favorite is "Better than Bullion, No Chicken Base" readily available at Whole Foods or here at Jet (half the price, no shipping charge!) Splat it in and forget about adding onion powder, garlic, salt, and myriads of other flavor-enhancers. Splat! . . . Done. 

Also, draining everything well ensures a meatball that holds its shape without having to add flour or breadcrumbs which can make the meatballs pasty. Let the beans and bulgur seep in the colander for that extra 30 seconds and give it a good, rollicking shake. It's also necessary to let the mixture cool and stiffen; 4 hours is good. Overnight? Why not.

Rolling them into balls no larger than 1 inch in diameter creates a crusty exterior and moist interior. It also eliminates the need to flip the darn things halfway through the baking process -- A huge plus, if you ask me.

These proportions are for a commercial kitchen and makes about 40 meatballs. However, this entire recipe costs less than $10 to produce, so why not go for it and have plenty on hand in the freezer?

1 lb. dried black beans, (2 1/2 cups) cooked in unsalted water until tender. Drain well.
1 cup bulgur, cooked in unsalted water until tender. Drain well. (Here it is from Amazon Prime)
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
2 onions
1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil (Here's a great deal on a 2 lb. jar -- Yes, even with the shipping, this is a good deal.)
2 Tbs vegetable bouillon paste

Finely chop the celery, onion, and carrot in a food processor and sauté in oil until tender and moisture is evaporated.
Finely chop the sun dried tomatoes in a food processor.
Puree the black beans in a food processor. (Not the bulgur).
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, taste for seasoning, adding a touch more bouillon paste if necessary (tread lightly), and refrigerate 4 hours until cool and mixture stiffens. Overnight would be fine. 
Roll into small meatballs no larger than 1 inch in diameter and place on a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 40-50 minutes or until desired doneness. These meatballs will be a little squishy when they come out of the oven but will firm up once they cool a bit and shouldn't stick to the pan at all. 

I cannot tell you how good these are in the middle of the night, microwaved, and festooned with ketchup. Or smooshed into a sandwich, slathered with vegan mayo and Major Grey's mango chutney.

Go ahead. Make 40 to have on hand.
What have you got to lose?

© 2015 by Jon Buckner Wheat. All rights reserved.