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Easy high-protein vegan meatballs that are delicious, hearty, and filling. Black beans, TVP, and seitan come together for an incredible meaty texture that’s baked to perfection. They don’t require any special equipment and whip up quickly for a low mess, no-stress, weeknight dinner that’s easy on the pocketbook and makes for great leftovers.

Why we love them:

These work great as an addition to your favorite spaghetti recipe, but feel free to use them how you like! We have used them in sub sandwiches and added them to soups for a hearty meal. Dress them up in savory sauce, or pair them with veggies and hummus. I often keep a few in the fridge as a snack on their own.
In addition, these vegan meatballs are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. They are made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand, and offer a quick cleanup.

Ingredients

Textured Vegetable Protein – or TVP, is a nutritious complete protein and a wonderful alternative to meat. Made from soybeans, TVP is high in fiber and protein and low in fat. You can find it on Amazon if your local grocery store doesn’t carry it. Reconstitute it by soaking it in water or broth for a few minutes to rehydrate it. The texture resembles ground beef. I use this brand: Textured Vegetable Protein
Vital Wheat Gluten – Formally called seitan, this is a powdered form of gluten made of wheat berries and is 80% protein. While certainly not gluten-free, it adds a nice elasticity and texture. The trick with wheat gluten is to make sure you need it and rehydrate to activate the gluten. It acts as a great binder for meatballs and veggie patties. Try this one out: Vital Wheat Gluten
Beans – You can certainly use any type of bean you prefer in this recipe. Beans and legumes are a staple in are a powerhouse for protein and fiber. Make sure you mash them completely. Any larger pieces will cause the meatballs to fall apart.
Nutritional Yeast – This is a wonderful flavor additive to give a nice cheesy flavor while adding protein, vital vitamins, and minerals. It’s a great source for B12 as well. Add more or less to this recipe depending on your preference. I prefer this Nutritional Yeast.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add 1 tbsp oil to a saucepan. Next, saute the diced onion over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until translucent.
Add garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth and heat until warm, then turn off the heat and remove from the burner.
Note: If you prefer an even faster method, while the onions and garlic are cooking, mash the beans and mix them with microwave-warmed vegetable broth, TVP, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire, and apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes and then add it all to the saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
Add the TVP and let it sit for about 5 minutes to hydrate. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the black beans and mash with a potato masher or a fork.

When the TVP is hydrated, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well so the wheat gluten can fully form. I like to use my hands and mix it up well. This helps develop the extra meaty and chewy texture.

Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form small meatballs and place them on the cookie sheet. Make sure to keep some room between each of them so they are not touching and can get extra crispy.

Forming the meatballs is the fun part! You can use a cookie dough scoop if you have one, or just form by hand. Note that they are chewier the larger you make them so keep them small, less than 2 Tbsp per meatball.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 15 minutes until the outside is crispy.
Finally, once they’ve cooled, enjoy them in spaghetti, in soup, a salad, a sandwich, or with your favorite dipping sauce!

Add them to any meal you like or enjoy them as is. Use them in spaghetti, eat them as a high-protein snack, or dip them in a favorite sauce.

Alternatively, you can use them on sandwiches, soups, salads, or in a Swedish meatball sauce. Use your imagination! They are quite versatile.

Storage

These meatballs keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat them in the oven or microwave. Keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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