What could be better for dinner than a plate of flavour-packed vegan meatballs in a rich tomato sauce? These meatballs are made from soya mince and have plenty of umami taste. They’re baked, not fried, to keep them healthier and are utterly delicious served in a slow-cooked tomato sauce. This is a great vegan or vegetarian dinner that the whole family can enjoy.
I’ve tried many different vegan meatballs over the years - both homemade and shop bought - and these are by far my favourites.
While I do love these aubergine meatballs, my kids aren’t overly enamoured with them. These ones are much more popular.
They are made of soy mince. A gram flour mixture and breadcrumbs hold them together and they’re flavoured with spices, marmite, soy sauce and tomato purée. It really is worth taking the time to add all of these ingredients and make sure they’re well seasoned as they’ll taste so much better.
These vegan meatballs are a popular family dinner here. I usually serve them in a tomato sauce (recipe below) to up the goodness levels.
How difficult are vegan meatballs to make?
Although the recipe is quite long, these vegan meatballs aren’t hard to make at all, and there’s very little actual cooking involved.
The ingredients list is long to ensure that there’s plenty of flavour in your meatballs and also to ensure that they hold together.
The gram flour and the breadcrumbs do a great job but you will also need to get your hands in that mixture and squeeze as you roll them into balls.
What should you serve with your vegan meatballs?
- Our favourite way to eat these vegan meatballs is to make them into meatballs subs. Simply serve them in submarine rolls (hot dog buns are a good substitute), fill with meatballs and sauce and drizzle with cashew cheese sauce. Prepare to get messy!
- I also love them with rice.
- But my kids prefer to eat them with pasta or spaghetti.
- Served with a baked potato or baked sweet potato is also a good way to enjoy your vegan meatballs.
- You can also make the meatballs without the tomato sauce and serve them with mashed potato and a creamy mustard sauce as in this recipe by The Veg Space.
What ingredients do you need to make vegan meatballs?
For full recipe, ingredients and quantities go to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- 200ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon yeast extract eg Marmite
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 4 tablespoons gram flour (chickpea flour)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons water
- 150g dried soya mince
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion granules
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 150g wholemeal breadcrumbs
Do you need any special equipment to make these meatballs?
Not at all. You will need:
- a large mixing bowl
- a baking tray
- non-stick baking paper
How to make vegan meatballs in tomato sauce
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Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Vegan meatballs in tomato sauce
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes 2 standard tins
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the meatballs
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon yeast extract eg Marmite
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 4 tablespoons gram flour*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons water
- 150 g dried soya mince
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion granules
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 150 g wholemeal breadcrumbs
To serve
- Chopped flatleaf parsley
- Pasta spaghetti, rice, or sub rolls
- Cashew sauce
Instructions
To make the tomato sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan.
- Add 1 chopped onion and sauté over a medium-low heat until soft. Stir often.
- Add 2 cloves crushed garlic and stir well. Cook for a further minute.
- Pour in two tins of chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Season with a little salt and black pepper.
- Bring to the boil then reduce to a low simmer while you make the meatballs. Stir occasionally.
To make the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.**
- Put 200ml hot vegetable stock into a jug or bowl and add 1 tablespoon yeast extract, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon tomato purée. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl add 4 tablespoons gram flour*. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 tablespoons cold water. Mix with a fork until smooth and set aside.
- Place 150g dried soya mince into a mixing bowl. Add ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon onion granules, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon sea salt and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.
- Pour in the vegetable stock mixture and stir well.
- Add 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped fresh parsley and mix again.
- Pour in the gram flour mixture and stir well.
- Finally add the 150g wholemeal breadcrumbs and mix well.
- Use your hands to form into 18-20 meatball-sized balls and place on the prepared baking tray. You will need to squeeze them quite firmly to make sure they hold together.
- Bake in the hot oven** for 15 minutes then carefully turn over and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until turning brown all over.
To serve
- Taste your tomato sauce and season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Pour the tomato sauce into a serving bowl and place the meatballs in the sauce. The meatballs can be a little delicate so treat them gently. Sprinkle over a little chopped flat leaf parsley if liked and add extra black pepper.
- Our favourite way to eat these is as meatball subs. Cut a roll in half and fill with meatballs and tomato sauce. Drizzle over some cashew sauce. However, you can also serve with pasta, spaghetti or rice, or even mashed potato, if preferred.
Notes
- *chickpea flour
- ** if preferred you can fry these meatballs, in which case you don’t need to preheat the oven or line a baking tray.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
Pin baked vegan meatballs in tomato sauce for later
This recipe is adapted from the vegan meatballs recipe by Veggie Gib.
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Christine Schnur
Love these "meatballs"! They were easy to make handle and they taste amazing! The texture wasn't too soft and I even had them sitting mixed in the sauce for a good while. Definitely a new staple!
Mandy Mazliah
So glad you enjoyed the Christine - they're a real favourite of ours too
Harsha
This is such a great recipe, made it for lunch in the middle of my work day. Once you get the basics right there are so many fun ways to spice it up. Hubby loved them , will definitely be making this more often.
Mandy Mazliah
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Harsha - it's a real family favourite here x
Loz m
A really good recipe for "meatballs" - a big hit with the family. I was very pleased with how well the meatballs stayed in shape.
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Loz, I'm so happy that you liked these meatballs - we love them too.
Anca
These look delicious. I like that you baked them instead of frying. It is a much healthier option and the taste is similar, especially with that lovely tomato sauce.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Anca - I'm so glad you like them x