Vegan Eggplant Meatballs – Healthy and Gluten-Free – Easy and Quick

These super simple Vegan Eggplant Meatballs recipe is the perfect example of how simple it is to achieve the meaty-like texture.

Although the main goal here is not to make fake-meat, it is impressive how easy and fuss-free we can have all the textures and flavours we like.

And well, who doesn’t want a recipe you can enjoy in less than 30 minutes, only a few ingredients (all super simple) and so very versatile and DELICIOUS.

The Ingredients

• Eggplant: any variety should work. You just might have a difference in how liquid the mixture is.
• Walnut: these nuts do give a more meat-like taste/texture to recipes. I wouldn’t swap.
• Corn Flour: breadcrumbs can be used instead. Blend until fine as flour and use the same amount as the corn flour.
• Garlic: to flavour the drizzle of oil we’ll use to cook the eggplant.
• Ginger: powder or fresh.
• Salt and Pepper: to taste
• Oil: olive oil to soften the eggplant. More oil if you are deep-frying.

How to Make Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

PREPPING

MIXING

BAKING

These “meaty” Vegan Meatball is great as a snack on their own, inside a sandwich or with any type of sauce.

You can get to know another Vegan Meatball option by visiting my Chickpeas Balls recipe.

There you’ll also find the easiest way to roast tomatoes, an amazing option for an impressive and easy vegan dinner with the Eggplant Meatballs.

With gratitude,

Carol🌶

Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

Recipe by Carol MarsolaCourse: Main, Snack, SideCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

This Vegan Eggplant Meatball recipe takes less than 30 minutes, a few ingredients (all super simple) and is so very versatile and DELICIOUS.

Ingredients

• 3,5 oz Walnuts

• 1,7 oz (5 tbsp) Corn Flour

• 1 Eggplant

• 2 Garlic cloves

• 1/2 tsp Ginger powder (or 0,4 in fresh ginger)

• Salt to taste (I use 1 tsp)

• drizzle of Olive Oil (more if you are frying instead of baking)

Directions

• Wash the eggplant and, after removing the stem and little bottom, cut it small cubes.
  In a non-stick frying pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic cloves divided in half.
• As soon as the garlic has taken a golden color, remove it and add the diced eggplant with a pinch of salt.
  Cook over medium heat until the eggplant is soft. Reserve.
• Chop the walnuts finely with a knife. The finer they are the more meatier the texture. However I wouldn’t use a mixer as it might release the nut oil too much.
• Season the corn flour with salt and pepper to taste.
  Optional step: you can brown the seasoned flour in a non-stick frying pan for a couple of minutes, for a slightly crispier texture.
• In a blender mix the cooked eggplant, corn flour, the fried garlic(optional) cloves and ginger powder until you have a homogeneous mixture. Adjust salt, pepper and ginger, if necessary.
  Take to a bowl, add the chopped nuts and stir well.
• If the mixture should be too
  soft add more flour.
• With damp hands mold the balls. Optionally, w
  et again the hand and flatten them a little.
• BAKING: take the balls to the preheated at 390° F, and cook for 10 minutes each side.
• FRYING: Fry in abundant oil in medium heat.
  Remove from the oil after a couple of minutes and let the oil dry a little.

Notes

• Please check The Ingredients section of the post for possible substitutions.
• These eggplant meatballs can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge, in a closed container. You can also freeze them for up to 4 months.