Another absolute classic comfort food dish veganized. The meatballs consist of kidney beans, caramelized onion, garlic, oats, spices, and breadcrumbs. They are simply shallow-fried in a pan, no need to turn on the oven for these beauties. Eat them on a salad, in a sandwich, or, as we did, on a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Yum!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
- 1½ cups (250 g) canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup (35 g) rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (40 g) breadcrumbs + more for coating
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 cups (500 g) tomato passata
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
Additional
- 2 portions cooked spaghetti
- cashew Parmesan
How to Make It
- Caramelize the chopped garlic cloves and red onion in a lightly oiled pan. Add a pinch of salt to help the softening process. If they start sticking to the pan, add a splash of water and let them cook on medium to high heat for about 5 minutes until softened and brown.
- To a food processor add the kidney beans, rolled oats, caramelized garlic and onion, spices, and breadcrumbs. Pulse until it all comes together. Scrape down the sides if you need to. You don’t want the mixture to be super smooth, but it should stick together.
- Shape the mixture into 35 meatballs and coat them in breadcrumbs. Let them chill in the fridge while you prepare the sauce. Any leftover meatballs can be frozen and reheated in the oven, microwave, or a pan. For the Sauce
- Cook the garlic cloves and red onion in a lightly oiled pot until soft. Then, reduce the heat and add in the tomato passata. Season with salt to taste and add the herbs. Let it cook until hot and thickened just a bit.
- Coat the bottom of a large pan with oil and pan-fry the meatballs on low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, while flipping them around every couple of minutes or so until they are brown and crispy on all sides.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions and serve with the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cashew Parmesan for maximum perfection.
