Italian Meatballs

Name: Italian Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp low sodium soy sauce; ½ tsp Vegemite; 1 tsp tahini; 1 tsp Worcestershire; ½ tsp red wine vinegar; ¼ tsp liquid smoke (I used mesquite); ¼ black pepper; ½ tsp mustard powder; ¼ tsp beetroot powder; 2 tsp mushroom powder (I prefer button mushroom here); 2 cloves garlic, pressed; ⅛-1/4 tsp salt or smoked salt (optional, to taste); 1/2 block firm tofu; 1/4 cup new parmesan (or almond flour); 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup leftover cooked rice or barley; 1 tsp dry parsley; 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 2 tbsp minced fresh white onion; 1-2 pinches oregano

plant-basedoil-free

Classic Italian meatballs made with tofu, breadcrumbs, rice, almond flour, and meatball seasonings.

Seasoning Blend:

1 1/2 tbsp

low sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp

Vegemite

1 tsp

tahini

1 tsp

Worcestershire

1/2 tsp

red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp

liquid smoke (I used mesquite)

1/4

black pepper

1/2 tsp

mustard powder

1/4 tsp

beetroot powder

2 tsp

mushroom powder (I prefer button mushroom here)

cloves garlic, pressed

1/8- 1/4 tsp

salt or smoked salt (optional, to taste)

Base Mixture:

1/2 block

firm tofu

1/4 cup

new parmesan

(or almond flour)

1/2 cup

panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup

leftover cooked rice or barley

Mixins:

1 tsp

dry parsley

1/8 tsp

crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp

minced fresh white onion

1-2 pinches

oregano

Heat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet or dish with parchment.
Whisk together all Seasoning Blend ingredients in a small bowl until Vegemite is dissolved.
Add Base Mixture ingredients to a food processor in the order listed.
Pour Seasoning Blend over the base mixture.
Pulse until the texture is like ground meat (about 48 VERY short pulses).
Move mixture into a mixing bowl and squeeze in the Mixins by hand.
Form tightly into meatballs of desired size, placing them on the parchment.
Cover baking sheet tightly with foil (to retain moisture)
Bake 35 mins, move them around, re-cover and bake 5 more mins.
Cool, now loosely covered with foil. Store in the fridge or freezer. Meatballs will be even firmer upon reheating.

• Prep: 15 mins • Cook: 40 mins • Total: 1 hour

Makes 1 batch

Base Meatball Mixture and Seasoning in a Food Processor

Kitchen & Pantry Picks

🌿Soy sauce 🌿Yeast extract 🌿Tahini 🌿Black pepper 🌿Mustard powder 🌿Beet powder 🌿Mushroom powder 🌿Almond flour 🌿Parsley flakes 🌿Oregano 🥄small bowl 🥄whisk 🥄food processor 🥄baking sheet 🥄parchment paper

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Notes from Craig

These meatballs are one of the best plant-based, oil-free recipes I've ever created.

For years, my goal was to create my version of meatballs that brought back memories of the ones we made at home when I was younger and the big meatballs we enjoyed at family dinners at Momma Baldacci's in Bangor, Maine.

The meatballs are tender but firm. They do not crumble. They freeze beautifully and have become the basis for other favorite recipes of mine such as sausage patties, quick falafel, and burger patties.

The meatballs can be frozen for up to a couple of months and reheat quickly in the microwave.

Italian Meatballs

Kitchen & Pantry Picks

Notes from Craig

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