Italian Vegan eggplant meatballs
These amazing vegan Italian 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.
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.