Go Back
–+ servings
Recipe

The Best Vegan Meatballs

4.72 from 7 votes
Author: Thomas Pagot
Introducing the best vegan meatballs! Incredibly tender, surprisingly meaty, and subtly smoky, these plant-based meatballs are mindblowing! Serve them with pasta and marinara sauce, use them in stews or soups, or simmer them in your favorite gravy!
Prep Time : 30 minutes
Cook Time : 50 minutes
Total Time : 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 16 meatballs
Calories 314 kcal

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Rehydrate the soy curls. Add the soy curls to a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the soy curls rehydrate for 15-20 minutes.
    Drain the soy curls and rinse them a couple of times under cold water. Doing so will get rid of the soybean flavor. Next, squeeze the soy curls with your hands to remove most of the moisture.
  • Process the remaining ingredients. Add the cooked white beans, oil, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, sugar, onion powder, smoked paprika, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and water to a food processor. Process for 15-20 seconds or until smooth.
  • Add the soy curls. Next, add the rehydrated soy curls and process for another 4-6 seconds or until it resembles a bolognese sauce. The soy curls should be finely chopped but not completely puréed. Otherwise, you will lose the texture. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the vital wheat gluten. Add the vital wheat gluten to the bowl containing the blended soy curls. Mix using a spatula or with your hands until it forms a paste resembling ground meat.
  • Divide the mixture into balls. Using a measuring spoon or a cookie scoop, divide the mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls. Shape them into balls with your hands and transfer them to a steamer.
  • Steam. Using an Instant Pot or a bamboo steamer basket placed on top of a pot of boiling water, steam the meatballs for about 50 minutes.
  • Let cool. After steaming, remove the meatballs from the steamer basket and let them cool for at least 15 minutes. You can now sauté the meatballs in a pan and use them in your favorite recipes!

Notes

  • Measure the vital wheat gluten correctly. Do not use a measuring cup as a scoop to measure the vital wheat gluten. Instead, spoon the vital wheat gluten into the measuring cup and level it with a knife.
  • Do not let the mixture sit too long. After incorporating the gluten, do not wait too long before shaping it into balls. As the gluten develops, it gets harder to shape the mixture into balls.
  • Do not make substitutes. This recipe is not versatile. Making any change or substitution made will alter the texture and flavor of the meatballs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving (4 meatballs) | Calories: 314 kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.3 g | Protein: 23.9 g | Fat: 15.9 g | Saturated Fat: 1.8 g | Sodium: 311 mg | Potassium: 194 mg | Fiber: 5.1 g | Sugar: 4.5 g | Calcium: 62 mg | Iron: 3 mg