Ginger Sesame Vegan "Meatballs"

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings (Meatballs)

Course Entrée

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
8 oz. roughly chopped cremini mushrooms (~4 cups chopped)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans (rinsed, drained, dried well // or ~1 ¾ cup homemade)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
2 ½ Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 ½ - 2 Tbsp tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free // if soy-free, sub coconut aminos)
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan // if using coconut aminos instead of tamari, use half the maple syrup)
1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa (plus more if needed)

FOR SERVING optional

Steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Teriyaki sauce
Sesame seeds
Grain of choice (brown rice, white rice, quinoa, coconut rice, millet // or cauliflower rice for grain-free)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If you haven’t done so, cook quinoa and set aside to cool. To prepare 1 cup cooked quinoa: Add 1/3 heaping cup (65 g) dry quinoa to a small saucepan and toast for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Then add 2/3 cup (160 ml) water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Then fluff with a fork, remove from the heat, and crack the lid so the quinoa can cool.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the sesame oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and have released most of their moisture.
Drain and rinse the black beans, then dry in a clean kitchen towel.
To the sautéed mushrooms, add the black beans, garlic, green onion, ginger, and tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos). Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and set out a baking sheet.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until no large pieces of beans or mushrooms remain, being careful not to overmix into a paste.
Add 1 cup (185 g) cooked and cooled quinoa (adjust amount if altering batch size) and the maple syrup (or agave or honey). Pulse to combine until a textured dough forms, again being careful not to overmix.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tamari for saltiness/depth of flavor, sesame oil for nuttiness, or maple syrup for balance. If it’s too wet, add more quinoa and pulse to combine.
Scoop out 1 ½-Tbsp portions of dough and gently shape into round balls using wet hands. Recipe as written makes ~15 meatballs. Add formed meatballs to a bare or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then flip to ensure even baking and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly dry to the touch.
These "meatballs" are delicious served with steamed or roasted broccoli, sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, and your grain of choice (brown rice, white rice, quinoa, coconut rice, millet // or cauliflower rice for grain-free).
Leftovers will keep up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. To reheat cooked meatballs from frozen, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F (200 C) for 10-12 minutes.

Video

Notes

*Prep time does not include cooking and cooling quinoa.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of tamari.
*Adapted from our Best Vegan Meatballs and Half-Baked Harvest’s Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs.

Nutrition (1 of 15 servings)

Serving: 1 meatball Calories: 63 Carbohydrates: 10.3 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 1.4 g Saturated Fat: 0.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 181 mg Potassium: 175 mg Fiber: 2.7 g Sugar: 1.5 g Vitamin A: 97 IU Vitamin C: 1.2 mg Calcium: 21.3 mg Iron: 0.8 mg