These amazing easy vegan Italian eggplant Meatballs are incredibly delicious and has a very firm and meat-like texture. They are loaded with Italian flavours like oregano, thyme, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. And thanks to the tofu and cooked rice, these amazing meatless meatballs are not only delicious but also full of plant based protein.
These vegan meatless meatballs can work in almost every recipe. Serve them with a side of salad, in a vegan meatballs sub or even as a spaghetti with meatballs dinner. They are so incredibly tasty, juicy and healthy too.
What’s great about these Italian Vegan Eggplant Meatballs:
- Everything
- Easy to make – the food processor does most of the work for you
- Savory and delicious
- Full of Italian flavours
- Kid friendly recipe – great for cooking with children
- Quick to make
- Healthy
- Simple and easy to get ingredients
- Vegan
- Meal prep friendly – can be made in advance and frozen for later
What to do if you are allergic to nuts
If you’re allergic to nuts, you can still make this recipe. Just replace the walnuts in this recipe with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and you’re good to go. If you prefer, you can also leave out any nuts and seeds altogether. The nuts and seeds are there to add extra nutrients and a little extra crunchy texture, but the recipe can easily be made without them.
What to do if you are allergic to gluten
If you’re allergic to gluten, there are several options. One is to simply use gluten free oats in the recipe. It’s the easiest solution and won’t change the taste and texture at all. But if you prefer to stay clear of oats, you can use almond flour or rice flour as a replacement binder.
Meal Prep friendly meatless aubergine meatballs
These meatless meatballs are meal prep and freezer friendly. You can make a double batch and freeze half for a later day. Just pop them straight from the freezer and into the oven (or microwave) and reheat when you are ready to eat.
How to serve these Vegan Italian eggplant and tofu meatballs
You can serve these plant based meatballs in any way you prefer. They work amazing as a side to salads, in meatballs subs, on pizza, with spaghetti…they work in any way that regular meatballs would.
How are these Italian Vegan eggplant meatballs made? It’s so easy. Just:
Instructions
- Boil water in a pot and add the eggplants. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggplants are soft and fall off the knife if you poke them. Drain away the water and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Once the eggplants have cooled a bit, add them to a food processor along with cooked rice, oats, chopped walnuts, tofu and all the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture is combined. Use two spoons to shape the mixture into meatballs. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs at medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden.
- Alternatively you can bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy on the outside. Serve hot and enjoy.
Italian Vegan eggplant meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil For frying
- 1 large (14oz) Eggplant Diced
- 1 cup (160g) Cooked Rice
- ¼ cup Rolled Oats
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 Spring Onions Chopped
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil Optional – can be replaced with olive oil
- 2 tsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
- 10oz (300g) Extra Firm Tofu Crumbled
- 3 Sun dried Tomatoes Chopped
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 7 Walnuts Chopped
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Boil water in a pot and add the eggplants. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggplants are soft and fall off the knife if you poke them. Drain away the water and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Once the eggplants have cooled a bit, add them to a food processor along with cooked rice, oats, chopped walnuts, tofu and all the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture is combined. Use two spoons to shape the mixture into meatballs. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs at medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden.
- Alternatively you can bake them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy on the outside. Serve hot and enjoy.
