A Made-From-Scratch Vegan Meatball Recipe That Will Make Your Mouth Water

What's Vegan Food, Again?

The tribe of vegans world-over has been multiplying rapidly by the day. And as they grow, they develop new ways of cooking traditional dishes. Now, before we launch into the vegan version of classic meatballs, here's a primer on what this movement is all about. . .

Vegans are inestimably stricter in their food and lifestyle preferences than vegetarians. In addition to meats and dairy, they keep all animal-derived products such as honey, casein, albumin, carmine, pepsin, gelatin, shellac, and whey at arm's length. Purists are also opposed to manufactured items that use animal-derived leather, silk, wool, and tallow.

Veganism looks to do away with the exploitation of animals for food and other purposes, as far as possible. It has environmental benefits too. Livestock farming produces considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. And according to a Guardian article, food derived from animals require 5-10 times more water for production than plant-based food. Livestock rearing also puts tremendous pressure on the environment, usurping a large portion of the world's total available arable land for raising fodder crops.

These problems can be mitigated by a diet that rejects livestock. A vegan diet has a number of health advantages too, helping prevent cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, and is particularly useful for people conscious about their expanding waistline.

Interestingly, it's not ageing individuals concerned about their health who are at the forefront of this movement. On the contrary, this trend is driven by millennials, baby boomers, and Generation X. Keenly interested in animal welfare, the environment, and their own health, it is they who are quick to adopt veganism as a mission.

The Growing Prominence of Veganism

Interest in vegan food has grown markedly. According to a report by data and analytics firm GlobalData, titled 'Top Trends in Prepared Foods in 2017', 6% of Americans were vegan. This represented a sharp rise since 2014 when the proportion of vegans in America was just 1%. Retail analytics firm Ipsos Retail Performance points out that the number of vegans in America increased 30 times over 15 years. Between 2004 and 2019, the vegan population in the US went from 290,000 to nearly 15 million.

Not just in America, veganism is increasingly shaping food choices in other countries too. In neighboring Canada, research by Dalhousie University shows that vegans and vegetarians constitute around 10% of the population, impelling restaurants and meat production establishments to adapt to the dietary changes. Most of the vegans and vegetarians there are below 35 years of age.

Vegans in the UK numbered 542,000 in 2016, according to charity organization The Vegan Society. In Germany, the vegan population doubled to 2.6 million from 2016 to 2020, as pointed out by Veganz, a vegan food producer. Veganism is also popular in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, and Denmark. In China, interestingly, it was the government that requested its citizens to reduce their consumption of meat by 50%, according to a 2016 report in The Guardian.

Vegan diets have led to the increase in demand for several food alternatives. The market for plant-based milks like almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk, for example, is expected to cross $21 billion by 2026, according to management consulting and market research firm Global Market Insights. On the other hand, the plant-based meat market is projected to grow to $7.21 billion by 2025, with 40% of the growth coming from North America, according to a report by market research firm Technavio.

Best Vegan Meatball Recipe You've Ever Come Across

Now, let's get down to the meat of the matter. Here's the vegan meatball recipe you've been promised.

This dish of Swedish meatballs is made from Impossible Burger's plant-based ground 'beef'. The meat mimics animal-derived beef in appearance and taste, but is actually a gluten-free product comprising soy protein concentrate, sunflower oil, and coconut oil, in addition to a genetically-engineered heme (an iron-rich compound synthesized by fermenting genetically-modified yeast injected with soy DNA to mimic the color and flavor of real beef). It is mainly this heme that accords the plant-based meat the color and flavor typical of real beef so much so that even beef aficionados can't tell the difference.

Dress the meatballs in a rich gravy of coconut milk, and you have a delightfully creamy dish that will have everyone asking for more. These delicious meatballs can be served with buttery mashed potatoes on the side, to make them a complete, comforting dish. But if you are concerned about calories, you can serve the meatballs with cauliflower rice. A dash of lingonberry jam will add to the beauty of the dish.

It takes no more than 35 minutes to prepare this meatball recipe. Let's dive in.

Ingredients for Your Vegan Meatball Recipe

For the meatballs-

• 1 pound of Impossible Burger vegan meat
• 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 finely minced sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons of coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable bouillon
• 15 ounces of coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

Cooking Instructions for Your Vegan Meatball Recipe

For making the meatballs-

1. Add the bread crumbs, chopped onions, and vegan meat to a big bowl. Apply coconut milk to the bread crumbs. Let the milk be soaked up by the bread crumbs.
2. Add onion powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the meat-milk-breadcrumb mixture. Mix thoroughly so that the seasoning is properly combined and dispersed.
3. Using a small cookie scoop, make the meat mixture into balls measuring one inch each. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Keep rolling and forming the meatballs out of the remaining meat mixture.
4. Heat olive oil in a big saute pan on medium flame. Place the meatballs in the pan. Cook them on one side for nearly a minute. Then rotate and cook the meatballs on either side for five minutes until they turn brown.
5. Take the meatballs off the pan and place them on a plate.

1. Pour vegan butter into the pan that was used for browning the meatballs. Return to a medium flame. Whisk the flour in and let it cook for two minutes. Stir frequently. Add the onion powder and garlic powder.
2. Add the vegetable bouillon. Gradually add water till the mixture is properly combined and turns smooth. Add soy sauce, coconut milk, pepper, mustard, and salt. Keep heating and stirring over medium flame till the sauce thickens and starts bubbling.
3. Place the meatballs back into the pan and cook for three minutes, or till the meatballs are heated through. Add parsley for garnishing. Serve.

What's The Best Way to Cook Vegan Meatballs?

For those who have rejected meat but miss it nonetheless, there are numerous vegan options that provide comparable texture and flavor. For instance, seitan (made from gluten; is the main wheat protein) gives you the softness of a pot roast, the firmness of steak, and the chewiness of ribs. If you are particularly health-conscious, opt for gluten free seitan.

Seitan mimics the texture of chicken and pork pretty well too, though extra-firm and well-pressed tofu may work better if you are looking to recreate chicken dishes. Tempeh (a cake-like product made from soybeans that are cooked and partially fermented) and tofu are also great for vegan fish dishes. Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), a highly processed meat substitute, can be combined with tempeh to simulate the texture of Ground Beef used in meatloaf, burgers, and shepherd's pie.

Mushrooms are also great for vegan dishes. Large-sized Portobello mushrooms can be used to make Philly Cheesesteaks and French Dip Sandwiches. Jackfruit, eggplant, beans, and lentils are also easy substitutes to animal-based protein. And the spices used to spruce up meat can also be used with the same effect on vegetables. It is worth noting that there's no turkey or chicken in poultry seasoning, nor is there beef in steak seasoning, making these perfect vegan ingredients.

But if you want to make doubly sure your seasoning is 100% vegan, you just go ahead and make your own by mixing marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, allspice, celery seed, and black pepper. Combine paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, brown sugar, mustard powder, pepper, and salt for your very own seitan steak spice rub.

This poultry seasoning can be added to a vegetable broth to make it indistinguishable from chicken broth. You can also turn your modest vegetable broth into a rich 'beef' broth by adding soy sauce, tamari, or vegan Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and red wine/red wine vinegar to it. These meaty broths can be used for preparing vegan sauces, soups, and gravies.

Another key lesson to learn is how to keep a Vegan meatball together. A number of grains can be combined to form a binder. You can use rice, quinoa, flour, or bread crumbs for this purpose. Vegan eggs (made with ingredients like mung beans, silken tofu, applesauce, soy protein powder, corn starch, arrowroot, or chickpea flour) work as good binding agents too, as do chia and flax seeds.

And Just in CaseA Classic Meatball Recipe

No matter how closely vegan meat manages to simulate animal-sourced meat in terms of flavor, texture, and appearance, traditional meat-lovers will want the real deal. And it is for them that we've thrown in this classic meatball recipe. Here's what you need to make the dish.

Ingredients-

For the meatballs-

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 big eggs
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 cup of Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup of grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of onion (minced)
• 1/2 cup of milk

• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
• 28 ounces of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup of diced onion
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of dried basil
• 1 teaspoon of salt, and more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar

1. Mix the eggs, ground beef, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, grated parmesan, minced garlic, and minced onion in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the milk into the bowl gradually and mix again.
2. Heat oil over medium flame in a big pan.
3. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs measuring one inch in diameter each. Put the meatballs into the oil-coated pan.
4. Cook the beef meatballs over medium flame. Keep turning them as they cook, till they turn brown all over. Cooking all the meatballs at once can make the pan over-crowded and affect the cooking. Instead, cook the meatballs in batches.
5. Remove the seared meatballs from the pan and set them aside.
6. Next, drain the grease from the skillet, but let the blackened bits stay.
7. Put the pan back on the stove. Turn the flame to low. Throw in the onion and let it cook till soft. Add the garlic and cook for half an hour.
8. Stir in the tomato paste.
9. Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Put in basil, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Stir to mix. Add light brown sugar. Stir again.
10. Place the meatballs back in the pot, and combine with the sauce.
11. Bring the sauce to simmer. Cover and let it cook for half an hour. Serve.

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Here are a couple of tricks to help your meatball dish stand out.

Choose fattier, plumper meats such as beef, pork, and lamb to make tender meatballs. If you are using leaner meats like turkey or chicken, make sure they don't become tough and unappetizing as a result of overcooking. For best results, mix various kinds of ground meat together.

Keep the meat cold to ensure that the fat doesn't melt and break down. Mix ingredients in chilled bowls, and in case precooked ingredients such as onions are added, allow them to cool fully before using them.

Be sure to use eggs and a binder such as a breadcrumb-milk mixture for keeping the meatballs moist and tender. This is an important point to note as the protein tends to make the meat shrink when it is cooked, resulting in tough meatballs.

To modify the seasoning according to your taste, first prepare a small patty and cook it in oil. Taste the patty to see if it is bland so that you can adjust the spices, herbs, and salt.

Make sure the meatballs are not packed too compactly or they may become rubbery. Form the meatballs quickly, yet gently. Apply oil to your hands to ensure that the meatballs don't stick to them. An ice-cream scoop may be used to make the meatballs uniform in size.

To prevent spattering oil on your stove while frying, opt for broiled or baked meatballs.

While cooking your dish, maintaining Food Safety is of paramount importance. This requires strictly following temperature guidelines. Ground meat ought to be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160 F, while ground poultry is to be cooked to 165 F. Use a Bluetooth thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meatballs if you are baking them. The Weber iGrill2 is one of the Best Bluetooth thermometers around.

If you are pressed for time, cook your meatballs in an Instant Pot. This appliance is so versatile it can work as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute pan, vegetable steamer, and warming pot.