Magic Vegan Meatballs - A healthy vegan meatballs recipe made with quinoa and cauliflower rice for a perfect texture that you won't believe is meatless! Serve with your sauce of choice for an easy weeknight dinner.
Set out a food processor. Then set a medium sauce pot over high heat.
Pour the quinoa in the sauce pot, along with 2 cups of water, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water has absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, make “flax eggs” by combining 3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 9 tablespoons water. Stir and allow the mixture to thicken for 15 minutes.
Place fresh 2 ½ - 3 cups cauliflower florets in the food processor. Pulse into fine cauliflower rice. Then measure out 2 cups of cauli-rice.
Once the quinoa is soft and fluffy, pour the cauliflower rice over the top. Stir to combine and cover the pot for another 5 minutes to steam the cauliflower rice.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the sheet.
Pour the quinoa and cauliflower mixture into the food processor. Add the rice flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pulse into a thick paste. Then add in the flax eggs and pulse to combine. The mixture should look very smooth.
Use a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop to portion the balls out equally. Roll them tightly in your hands and place on the baking sheet.
Once all the meatballs are formed, bake for 8 minutes. Flip them over, then bake another 7 minutes.
Warm your sauce of choice in a large skillet. Add the hot meatballs to the sauce. Stir to coat and serve warm.
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Notes
Not a vegan? You can use 3 large eggs in place of the “flax egg” if you so desire. This recipe is then vegetarian, not vegan.Ground Flax Seeds: If you have a very high powdered food processor you can grind the flax seeds in it. However, in most cases, it’s best to either buy ground flax seeds or use a coffee/spice grinder to grind them.Herb Swaps: If you are planning to add the meatballs to a curry sauce or barbecue sauce, you may not want to add Italian herb seasoning to the mixture. You can add any combination of dried herbs and spices you like equaling 1 tablespoon. Thyme and cumin is a good combination. Also, consider garam masala for curry sauces, or dried ginger and lemongrass for Asian sauces.