Black Bean “Meatballs”

I am going to remember this recipe forever. Why? Because it’s the very last recipe I will have made with my beloved food processor! Well, at least for a little while.

I promised to create one more recipe before I start my travels for the next few months. I wanted to do it for you, but I also wanted to do it for me. The kitchen will always be my place of peace – and even though now my tools will be extremely basic and my kitchen outside, I promise to still bring you some goodies along the way.

That aside, lets get back to the recipe. I think you guys are really going to like this. It has all of the heartiness of a mouthful of meatball on a totally plant-based level. They are also just moist enough – not enough to be gummy in the center, but still the absolute opposite of dry.

The flavor is there but it’s also mild, making it a great addition to any kind of pasta – or not. I tried a batch of these on crunchy romaine lettuce with some dressing and I loved them just the same. I hope you do too.

This recipe is vegan and gluten free

Ingredients

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 3 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1/8th tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a small fry pan saute the onion and garlic in olive oil on medium until translucent. You’ll want to do this prep work far enough ahead of time to let it cool before you go ahead with the rest of the recipe – at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375. Once the onion and garlic have cooled, add those and all remaining ingredients to a food processor. Set on medium and mix until half smooth/half still chunky so that you can have some texture in your meatballs.

On a parchment lined baking tray form golf-ball sized balls with the black bean mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute or two.

Serve up with whatever you enjoy – I chose zoodles and a garlic tomato sauce.

Pro tip: Eating these with pasta and tomato sauce? Simply use the tomato sauce as both an ingredient in the meat balls and a sauce for your dish!

They are mild in flavour, wild in texture, and overall enjoyable. They are also super versatile in terms of combining them with other ingredients to make a meal. But if you’re dying to get your tastebuds tingling, you could sub hot sauce for some of the tomato sauce, or add red pepper flakes into the mix.

As for my food processor, my sister is going to be “looking after it” while I’m away. I hope she gets some use out of it over the next couple of months. I hope that it somehow inspires her to make something new, or sparks some kind of creativity in the kitchen for her. If she feels like following a recipe, I do have one in mind…

This is a recipe I am dying to see you guys make, so when you do don’t forget to share with me on Instagram! I’m really active on there and I love connecting with you.

Chat soon!