Feeling in a meatball kinda mood? We get you! One thing you may miss a lot on your plant based diet is real ‘meaty’ textured substitutes of your once favourite foods. The foods that give you comfort and are familiar is what we specialise in and this BEST textured Italian meatballs recipe is going to hit the mark, we promise.
What’s So Good About These Meatballs?
These vegan Italian meatballs are simply the best for many reasons, but the main one is they are 100% whole foods plant based compliant. That means you can eat them in abundance as they are still completely healthy, oil free, and with zero refined ingredients.
You’ll also find that this Italian style meatball recipe has a fantastic texture that almost tastes like a real ‘meat’ ball. So often plant based meat substitutes (especially the unrefined, whole foods kind like these) really miss the mark when it comes to texture. When you bite into a meat ball or a burger it’s that TEXTURE you want if it’s going to give you what you need in a meat substitute, and that’s exactly what you get with our plant based burger and meatball recipes.
What’s In Italian Style Meatballs?
Our meatballs are all whole foods and healthy with nothing harmful; no sugars, no oils, no preservatives, and no fake meats high in sodium or any other of the unhealthy stuff.
Some of the wholesome ingredients in these best textured Italian meatballs include:-
1. Lentils
Green lentils are a high fibre, nutrient-rich legume that will fill you up and release their energy slowly into your system over hours, thus keeping you fuller for longer.
This inexpensive legume makes a great meat substitute in many plant based dishes that include meatballs, Bolognese sauce, curries, soups and stews. Lentils really are a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, including protein, fibre, B vitamins, folate, iron, potassium and magnesium – all of which play a role in heart health and a healthy gut microbiome.
2. Oats
Oats are a great way to bulk up your plant based burgers and meatball recipes. They help to soak up excess fluids and bind everything together so that you can shape and mold it easier.
This naturally gluten-free grain also has many other benefits for health. These include being high fibre (particularly beta-glucan which helps lower bad cholesterol levels), high in antioxidants to help prevent disease, weight management, and digestive health.
3. Walnuts
Of all the nuts out there, walnuts are among the healthiest. Why? Because they contain unique antioxidants that are found in only a couple of known foods on the planet. Now that’s impressive!
Walnuts also contain a good array of energy boosting B vitamins, are good for weight management due to them being so highly satiating, and great for heart health due to their wonderful omega 3 fats profile and their l-arginine content.
4. Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is the hallmark and staple of any vegan or plant based eater’s larder. It’s one of the most versatile condiments out there and can be used in nearly all plant based dishes.
One of the best ways to use nutritional yeast is as a cheesy type substitute such as this 2 minute parmesan that will go perfectly with your plant based Italian meatballs. But we’ve also added it inside the meatballs too, to add depth of flavour and an umami taste.
Nutritional yeast (which is an inactivated form of yeast) is a protein-rich condiment that also contains high levels of B vitamins (specifically B12, hence why it’s so popular in the plant based world), folate and fibre.
5. Parsley
Along with the other healthy spices and herbs in this recipe, parsley is used in a good enough amount to be beneficial to health.
Parsley contains high levels of very important nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, K, folate and potassium. It’s also rich in antioxidants, such as carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamin C.
The vitamin K content of this superfood herb is great for bone health because it supports bone building cells and activates proteins that can help improve bone mineral density. Parsley also contains lutein, beta carotene and zeaxanthin – all carotenoids that help protect your eyes and promote healthy vision.
Lastly, parsley contains heart healthy folate, so eating this along with all the other folate rich ingredients in these meatballs means that overall you are helping to protect your heart in many ways.
What To Serve With Italian Meatballs
There are some different variations on how to serve your wholesome meatballs and all are perfectly tasty.
You can serve them the traditional way with spaghetti pasta and red/marinara sauce. If you’re going to go down this route, we recommend that you add your meatballs to your sauce only after you have heated it and once your meatballs are fully cooked. You want your meatballs to stay crispy on the outside, so if you add them to the sauce too early they may go soggy.
If you want a vegan parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of your dish, you should make your own as shop bought varieties will not be healthy at all.
Here’s the two recipe links you will need should you wish to serve your homemade Italian meatballs the traditional way.
Other ways to serve your meatballs would be in a sub or sandwich, with rice, salad, or with a dip as a starter or snack. They also taste great cold!
The BEST Textured Italian Meatballs Recipe You'll Ever Taste
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups cooked green lentils
- 1 medium white or brown onion, very finely chopped
- 1/3rd cup rolled oats
- 1/3rd cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3rd cup finely chopped walnuts
- 3 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped parsley finely chopped parsley
- 2.5 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp thyme
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ tsp salt optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat over to 190C (374F) You may also wish to use your air-fryer on highest heat for roughly 20 minutes.
- Line a large baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper
- Next add your cooked lentils to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to smoosh them down. Do not make them too mushy as you want texture. The idea is just to break about half of them down.
- Add the rest of your ingredients and mix thoroughly. You're going to have to get your hand in here to help with the mixing process and to roll your balls, so don't be shy.
- Once your meatball mix is well combined (but not smushed into a paste), you are ready to get rolling. This mix makes about 18-20 meatballs. If you make them bigger or smaller than this, you will have to adjust cooking times. An easy way to make more even portions of the mix is to flatten it down in the bottom of your mixing bowl and do a rough split with a knife into about 10 pieces. You can then split each piece in two before rolling. To roll, just take your meatball mixture between the palm of your hands and gently roll, then place on your prepared baking sheet. Your hands may get a little sticky, but you can scrape them down on the blunt side of a non-sharp dinner knife back into the bowl.
- Bake for roughly 26 minutes just above the middle of your oven.
- Serve with pre-heated marinara sauce which you can find a great recipe for on this website (I have left the link above this recipe block, along with the link for the 2 minute parmesan). It's always best to add your crispy meatballs last minute to your sauce once you have heated it up, which helps the meatballs stay crispy on their outside.
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