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The BEST Plant-Based Vegan Meatballs

The BEST Plant-Based Vegan Meatballs

4.8 from 4 reviews

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients:  

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten 
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 3 tablespoons mushroom powder (ground dried mushrooms)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, minced 
  • 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1/16 teaspoon cayenne

Wet Ingredients:  

  • 1/2 cup extra-firm tofu (110 g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
  • 1 tablespoon Better-Than-Bouillon 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 small onion

Cooking Broth: 

  • 8 cups water
  • 1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix to combine. 
  • In a blender, add all the wet ingredients and blend until smooth.  
  • Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture.  Stir to combine.  
  • Knead for a couple of minutes to make sure the dough is well combined. 
  • Next, roll the dough into bite-size meatballs.  We use about 1 tablespoon of dough per meatball.  They will swell during the cooking process, so make them smaller than you want the final product to be.  Roll each meatball for a few seconds in your hands, making sure they are smooth without cracks.  
  • In a large saucepan, add water and 1/4 cup of Braggs Liquid Aminos. Bring to a rolling boil. 
  • Reduce heat slightly, but you want the water to be boiling during the initial meatball drop. 
  • Place the meatballs carefully into the broth one at a time, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and let the meatballs cook for 1 hour.  Be sure to check occasionally to make sure the broth is simmering.  This is especially important at the beginning of the cooking process, as you do not want them to stick to the bottom.  The meatballs should float within a few minutes.  Adjust the temperature to a simmer.   
  • When the meatballs are finished cooking, they are wonderfully tender and delicious. You can serve them right away, but if you intend to put them in a sauce, it is best to let them cool completely in the stock, maybe even put them in the fridge for a few hours. This firms up the meatballs without sacrificing much of the tenderness and allows them to hold together better in whatever sauce you choose.

Tips:

  • I prefer to store the meatballs in the stock in an airtight container in the fridge. They last for several days and can easily be reheated for various dishes.
  • I like to brown the meatballs in a skillet to add color, but it is not necessary.
  • Please make sure the walnuts are finely minced, or they will not stay in the meatballs during the cooking process.  
  • Do a trial run and cook one meatball to make sure it holds up in the cooking broth before adding all the meatballs.  Let it cook for 5-10 minutes to see if it hold together.  If so, it is safe to add all the rest of them.  
  • Should the dough seem too loose to form meatballs, add vital wheat gluten to the dough 1 teaspoon at a time.  It will not require much, and the dough should be relatively loose, but you should be able to form the meatballs.  
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