Vegan Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Vegan meatballs, they are a thing! These particular meatballs are made using a combination of mushrooms, quinoa, and black beans, which means you are getting a ton of protein without any of the meat, plus a lot of really healthy stuff.

Football season is in full swing right now and my team is doing awesome, so I’m a pretty happy football loving woman. Home games are all about the tailgating, while away games are all about the tasty food we can enjoy while we scream our heads off at the TV. Sweet and sour meatballs are always a favorite, and this version can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone, including those with allergies or other restrictive diets. For more meat-free, dairy-free recipes, check out Silk.com

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Yield: about 24 “meat”balls

Ingredients

“Meat”Balls
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup quinoa
2 cups Silk Coconutmilk
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chickpea/almond/rice/all-purpose flour

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup Silk Coconutmilk
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor.

2. In the same pan, pour the quinoa and and 2 cups coconut milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until all liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse onion and mushrooms with the black beans and red pepper flakes until it looks likes ground meat. Stir in the cooked quinoa, flax seed, and flour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently press the mixture into 1 to 1/2-inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (or a lightly greased baking sheet). Bake meatballs for 30 minutes until crisp on the outside.

5. Meanwhile, make the sweet and sour sauce. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Put over high heat and pour in pineapple juice and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer until thickened.

6. Serve meatballs hot with sweet and sour sauce poured over.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.