Black Bean Meatballs in Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Looking for a vegan alternative to meatballs? These black bean meatballs in roasted tomato and pepper sauce are simply divine, but also easy to make! Give them a try!

Picture this scenario – The big dinner night is coming up and you’re looking for something tasty and filling to make. Maybe you are looking to incorporate some diversity, so you can have something for everyone to munch on. That’s why you have to consider people’s dietary needs, and what do you do if you have one or more vegans at your table?

Or maybe you are following a vegan diet and want to enjoy something tasty for lunch that you could combine with other small nibbles in a fashion-it-yourself kind of meal. Oftentimes you might be looking for a versatile snack that you could serve in a salad or a Buddha bowl, or just eat on its own, in one of those culinarily-uninspired days. But I think I have something that will solve all your problems today! 🙂

Introducing black bean meatballs in roasted tomato and pepper sauce! That may be a mouthful of a title, but once you make them and the smell hits your nose, you won’t be able to wait to get your mouth full, trust me!

This recipe is tasty and delicious and well suited for lunch, dinner or anything in-between. It will fill your tummy with vegan goodness and your heart with warmth and comfort!

Despite not featuring any meat, these meatballs might fool even the most seasoned of meat lovers. If you do end up serving them at your big dinner night, you might be surprised when these meat lovers ask for seconds!

This recipe is comprised of two parts that we will talk about separately – the faux meatballs themselves, and then the tomato and pepper sauce. First, you have the black bean meatballs.

These meatballs are made of black beans, a very common ingredient for capturing the texture of meat. Black beans are full of protein and nutrients that your body will thank you for.

If you are searching for a meat substitute that can provide you with a healthy amount of nutrients and at the same time have a meat-like texture when mashed and mixed with other ingredients.

This recipe is better if you season your beans mix properly with black pepper, oregano, and other spices of your choice, just like you would with regular meatballs.

That isn’t to say that beans have no flavor of their own – quite the contrary, they do have a specific character that will be felt more or less, depending on how much you choose to spice the mix up.

The sauce is a work of art, trust me! 🙂 If you have the patience to make this delicious tomato-based sauce, you might start making it separately. And you should, because it is a versatile sauce that you can use on many other recipes, such as pasta, pizza, or any other recipe that calls for a tasty tomato-based sauce.

The secret to this sauce is to cut up and slow roast the vegetables beforehand. Remove the core of the tomatoes and the seeds of the red peppers. Slow roasting really brings the best in the vegetables, not to mention if you decide to go the extra mile and add garlic to the mix. Your kitchen will smell like a dream!

These black bean meatballs with special sauce will be the highlight of your vegan family dinner! If there are any meatballs left after everyone gets to eat, you can refrigerate them.

This process will make the meatballs fuse with the sauce because we all know the fridge is a magical device that makes all leftovers more delicious. The cold environment will make the sauce feel like it’s always been a part of the meatballs.

Being a totally vegan and healthy recipe, even though not tasting like one, you can give this recipe to your kids to enjoy at lunchtime. Kids naturally love meatballs, and they might appreciate your unique twist on their favorite middle of the day snack.

If you’re putting them in your kids’ lunchbox, make sure to pack them accordingly, because these black bean meatballs are going to be runny, due to the sauce! Pack an energy punch in your kids’ lunch with these black bean meatballs today and they will thank you!

So go ahead and try out this recipe for black bean meatballs in roasted tomato and pepper sauce! It will surely end up being very tasty, but please don’t hesitate from telling me your opinions! What does it remind you of? I wish you bon appetit and have fun in the kitchen!

Black Bean Meatballs in Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Gourmandelle.com

Looking for a vegan alternative to meatballs? I’ve got you covered! These black bean meatballs in roasted tomato and pepper sauce are simply divine, but also easy to make! Give them a try!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 1105 kcal

Ingredients

 

US (Imperial)Metric

 

1x2x3x

For the meatballs:

• 1 ½ cup oat flour
• 1 can black beans canned, strained and drained
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp beetroot paste or cooked beetroot
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp parsley chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 2 Tbsp psyllium husks or one egg, for vegetarian version
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper roasted and peeled
• 1½ cup tomatoes canned, crushed
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1 tsp oregano dried
• 1 tsp basil dried
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Making the meatballs:
• Line a cutting board with parchment paper.
• Add all the “meatballs” ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Use a Tbsp to measure 1 meatball.
• Scoop a Tbsp of the bean mixture and roll one meatball with your hands.
• Transfer to a prepared cutting board. Repeat with the rest of the bean mixture. Set aside.
• For the sauce:
• Heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut sugar, white wine, basil, oregano, and mustard powder.
• Let it simmer for about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Add the tomato mixture to a food processor together with the roasted peppers, salt, and pepper.
• Blend until the mixture is smooth.
• Heat another skillet with olive oil on medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
• Add the blended sauce to the meatballs, turn the heat to low, cover and let it cook for about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Serve warm and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 1105kcalCarbohydrates: 166gProtein: 42gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gSodium: 2859mgPotassium: 2216mgFiber: 42gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 3074IUVitamin C: 108mgCalcium: 308mgIron: 14mg

Keyword beans, tomatoes

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