Vegan "Meatballs" with Zucchini in Homestyle Tomato Sauce

I'll say this right up front: this is a great recipe for kids. I'd bet they won't even notice the zucchini—or the buckwheat flour, for that matter.

I served these for dinner with plain white rice, and Eyal (a kid whose charm I couldn't possibly do justice to here) absolutely devoured them.

Watching him dig in was such a treat. And as of this writing, he still has no idea he ate zucchini and buckwheat. Ha!

Before we get cooking, a little disclosure: I developed this recipe in partnership with Meatless Farm.

Thank you! Partnerships like this keep the blog going and help me keep sharing vegan food and healthy eating.

This product looks like ground beef and cooks like ground beef. Some people say it tastes like ground beef, too, but I couldn't tell you—I haven't eaten ground beef in more than 20 years.

It also provides a good amount of protein, from both high-quality soy protein and pea protein.

Along with that protein, it has a nice amount of fiber. When was the last time ground beef gave you fiber, huh? The product itself is also gluten-free.

A Few Recipe Notes

As I mentioned, I developed this recipe with Meatless Farm using their plant-based ground meat. Honestly, I can't tell you what to substitute for it; I haven't tested another brand here.

I used zucchini grated on a box grater to give the meatballs some bulk and keep them juicy. You can swap in carrots, beets, or even potatoes, but keep in mind that the nutrition values will change.

For binding, I used buckwheat flour—my pick for the ultimate binder. You can also use the same amount of chickpea, spelt, or lentil flour, or whatever flour you have on hand.

I think this spice blend really complements the plant-based ground meat and brings everything together.

But it's a suggestion, not a rule. If you want to take the seasonings in another direction, go for it.

I baked the meatballs, and I really don't think there's any need to fry them first.

After baking, I simmered them in a thick, rich tomato sauce. That part is entirely optional: you can eat them straight from the oven or use a different sauce.

But between you and me, tomato sauce is hard to beat, right?

Vegan Meatballs with Zucchini: Nutrition

One oven-baked meatball, from a batch of 25, without sauce contains:

• 54 calories
• 3.8 g protein
• 5.4 g carbohydrates
• 2 g fat

A spoonful of sauce weighing 20 g (0.7 oz) adds:

• 11 calories
• Less than 1 g protein
• 1.8 g carbohydrates
• 0.5 g fat

Vegan "Meatballs" with Zucchini in Homestyle Tomato Sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Yield 25 meatballs

Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 400 g (14 oz) plant-based ground meat I used Meatless Farm
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce The original metric measure is 20 ml (4 US teaspoons).
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup The original metric measure is 10 ml (2 US teaspoons).
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• A pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 handful basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup buckwheat flour 150 g (5.3 oz)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Sauce

• 6 tomatoes or 400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 7 cloves garlic, crushed Don't let the amount scare you!
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 level teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 level tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Start with the Meatballs

1. Remove the plant-based ground meat from the freezer and thaw according to the package directions.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

3. In a deep mixing bowl, combine the plant-based ground meat, grated zucchini, crushed garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, curry powder, black pepper, basil, and buckwheat flour. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.

4. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 25 meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Drizzle the meatballs with a little olive oil.

6. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until golden.

Make the Sauce

1. Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor into a loose puree, like the fresh tomato sauce served with jachnun (a slow-baked Yemenite Jewish pastry).

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet with enough room for both the sauce and the meatballs.

3. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric, and salt to the hot oil and cook for about 2–3 minutes.

4. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a few more seconds. Be careful not to let it burn!

5. Add the crushed tomatoes, maple syrup, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil.

6. Add the tomato paste and stir well.

7. Add the meatballs and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat and serve with macaroni or rice.