If you’re a meat eater – I’ll bet meatballs are one of your favourite foods! I used to love meatballs – they were delicious and fun to eat! But since I cut out meat, I’ve been craving that similar texture and flavour as meatballs have – but better! These Black Bean Veggie Meatballs are so amazing and made with healthy ingredients!
I’ve paired them with a Spicy Tamarind Sauce and served with roasted broccoli, red onion and buckwheat! Delish!
Black Beans Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe
(healthy, gluten free, vegan)
- FOR MEATBALLS:
- 1 14-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained (or red kidney beans)
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional)
- 1/4 cup oats or breadcrumbs (certified gluten-free if GF is important to you)
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste (use less salt if the beans have salt added)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- grape seed oil for sautéing
- FOR THE SPICY TAMARIND SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup tamarind paste
- pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste
- In a food processor, add in all the ingredients and mix until fully combined.
- (Or mash the beans with a potato masher in a large bowl and mix in all the ingredients with a wooden spoon or your hands).
- Transfer to a large bowl so it’s easier to work from.
- Scoop up about a tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of your hands and shape like a ball. Continue with all the mixture.
- Heat a large cast iron pan, drizzle oil on the bottom and place the meatballs on the pan.
- Heat each side for about 2 minutes, then turn the meatballs over to cook the other side, keep turning them some more to cook around as much as possible. (I like to take the pan and give it a little shake to turn them on their own.)
- Alternatively, you can bake them at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, turning over every 5-10 minutes so they brown all over.
- Let cool for 5 minutes until serving.
- For the sauce, just mix the tamarind paste with the cayenne pepper and drizzle over the meatballs.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 2 months.
This Black Beans Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe is healthy, gluten free, dairy-free and vegan! It goes great with some roasted broccoli or any other veggies really! Or if you are a traditionalist – a spaghetti sauce and pasta would be brilliant too! Oh man, now I’m craving some Spaghetti with black beans vegetarian meatballs… ;)
Hope you enjoy this healthy dinner recipe soon!
Ella Leché is an author, recipe developer, and photographer/stylist behind Pure Ella; where she shares how delicious and fun healthy food can be. Here, you’ll find mostly plant-based gluten/ wheat -free recipes, that are always refined sugar-free with whole food clean ingredients. Thanks for being here!
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Blogger, Recipe Developer, Photographer and Author. Loves healthy food, photography, sunshine and dancing in the kitchen with her two daughters. 
Omg I’m dying to try these. I recently started eating meat truth is, I still love my veggies!
I bet you will love these! A nice lighter change to mix things up :) xoxo
Finally found a vegetarian meatballs recipe that will e perfect for those who are looking for healthy foods in their meals. Just looking at the photo, we can say that it is delicious and tummy-satisfying.