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Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe

September 26, 2015 By Sage 15 Comments

I’m an unlikely vegetarian. I actually love and miss meat, but I can’t bring myself to eat it, so I’m always trying to make vegetarian versions of meaty things I used to love in my past life… cheesesteak, pulled pork, buffalo chicken, bacon, and especially this vegetarian meatballs recipe!

Meatball grinder day was my favorite school lunch day. When I got to junior high, meatball grinders were an alternative lunch choice every day, and I ate one pretty much every school day for three years.

In retrospect, those meatballs were pretty gross, and they probably came out of a can. But there were also a fair number of great pizzerias in my hometown, which made delicious toasted and smothered in cheese grinders with meatballs that most definitely did not come out of a can.

I’ve been trying to re-create that magic in a vegetarian meatballs recipe for awhile, and now I’ve hit on a homemade vegetarian meatballs recipe that I love! It uses TVP but will also work with soy crumbles… it also happens to be a vegan meatballs recipe ; -)

Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe

Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe2 cups TVP
1 3/4 cups boiling water
olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1 t salt
1 T tamari

 Mix the TVP with the boiling water and set it aside for at least 10 minutes.

Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs RecipeSauté the onion in a bit of olive oil until it softens, then add the TVP and seasonings. Cook it for a few minutes to let the flavors meld, then mix in the flour.

Let the TVP mixture cool slightly, then form it into balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet. I use a cookie scoop to make them a uniform size.

Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs RecipeBake them at 350 degrees (175 degrees Celsius)  for about 20 minutes, until they’re lightly browned.

I’m not a huge spaghetti and meatballs fan, so when I make this vegetarian meatballs recipe, I eat them in a toasted baguette with marinara (recipe below) and a bit of Grana Padano.

Easy Marinara Recipe

The jarred sauce scene in Denmark is substandard, so I make my own quick marinara using this recipe:

1 small can of tomato paste
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4  t oregano
3/4 t basil
1/2 t onion powder
1  t garlic powder
water

Empty the tomato paste into a saucepan and whisk in a can’s worth of water.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients and a bit more water, until it’s a consistency that makes you happy, then simmer it over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.

Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe

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Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Comments

  1. Jenn @ EngineerMommy says

    September 26, 2015 at 6:01 PM

    These meatballs look really delicious! I’ve often contemplated making the switch to vegetarianism, and I’d love to try this recipe. This looks like such an easy recipe, too!

    Reply
    • Sage says

      September 27, 2015 at 11:36 AM

      They are! And with a beef meatball running close to 100 calories with 7 grams of fat, it’s a bit more figure friendly, too :-)

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    September 27, 2015 at 3:33 AM

    These look very good. I wouldn’t think it was vegetarian by the pictures. I have never tried to make a vegetarian dish like this because I thought it would be difficult but clearly it is not! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sage says

      September 27, 2015 at 11:36 AM

      It’s quite possibly even simpler than making real meatballs, because you don’t have to deal with the grease!

      Reply
  3. Jessica Beal Harlow says

    September 27, 2015 at 2:48 PM

    This sounds like such a good alternative to greasy meatballs! I’m partial to more vegetarian dishes (as I was a vegetarian for 6 years before I had kiddos). Definitely going to try this one!

    Reply
  4. Chanel | Cultural Xplorer says

    September 27, 2015 at 4:11 PM

    These look delicious and it looks just like meat! I love all your veggie recipe ideas!

    Reply
  5. Pam says

    September 27, 2015 at 4:00 PM

    That sandwich looks amazing! I wouldn’t have known it was vegetarian. I would love to go vegetarian, but my husband and kids are opposed to the idea. I am going to try this and not tell them it is vegetarian and see if they can tell the difference. :)

    Reply
    • Sage says

      September 28, 2015 at 11:20 AM

      I do most of the cooking, so my guys don’t get a choice :-)

      Reply
  6. Winter White says

    September 27, 2015 at 6:36 PM

    As a self proclaimed meat connoisseur I have to say I don’t think I could ever totally say goodbye to meat. But this recipe is one I think I’d really like. It really looks like meat!

    Reply
  7. Ourfamilyworld says

    September 27, 2015 at 9:16 PM

    That looks absolutely delicious. I think I am going to enjoy this a lot. I am not a vegetarian, but I am avoiding beef and pork because of a health issue. I can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
  8. Cynthia @craftoflaughter says

    September 27, 2015 at 11:49 PM

    These look so good! I am not a vegetarian but can do without meat quite easily. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  9. tammileetips says

    September 28, 2015 at 4:05 AM

    Oh my gosh thee look really good! I can’t believe I have never thought to make vegetarian meatballs before!! As a vegetarian I sometimes get jealous of the food like this he eats.

    Reply
    • Sage says

      September 28, 2015 at 11:25 AM

      I’ve been able to find veg-friendly alternatives to most of the meat dishes I miss. Living in Denmark where vegetarianism hasn’t really caught on, that’s saying something! I’ve definitely become a more inventive cook by living here, but I really miss things like Tofurky. I haven’t been able to replicate anything close to it at home.

      Reply
  10. Susan Quackenbush says

    September 28, 2015 at 5:44 PM

    My granddaughter recently decided she wanted to try being a vegetarian so this is the perfect recipe to try out on her! Thank you for sharing! :)

    Reply
  11. Lauren Harmon says

    September 29, 2015 at 10:37 PM

    Oh wow! This recipe looks absolute delicious! I’m not a vegetarian but I definitely want to give this sub a try, the meatballs look better than any “real meat” meatballs I’ve ever seen! I’ll be giving this recipe a try soon. :)

    Reply

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Once upon a time, I had the chance to move to the happiest country in the world!

My restless Aries spirit liked that idea, so I did what any girl in my position would do… I grabbed my cat, booked a one-way ticket to Denmark, and became an expat!

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