Baked Eggplant Meatballs (no egg)
Firm and flavorful baked eggplant "meatballs", perfect for plant-based spaghetti and meatballs or vegetarian meatball subs. We're baking these up without any oil and there's no egg in the mixture, so they're totally vegan. They freeze really well, so you can have meatballs anytime.
Servings: 4
Calories: 210kcal
Cost: $5
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds eggplant about one medium to large italian eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil minced
- 4 tablespoons Italian parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 cups breadcrumbs regular or panko
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 ounces marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Make a flax "egg": Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water in small bowl or cup and set aside to thicken in the refrigerator.1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 3 tablespoons water
- Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and ¼ cup water. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 10-12 minutes.1 ¼ pounds eggplant
- When it's tender, remove from heat and mash the eggplant with a potato masher or immersion blender.
- Transfer eggplant to a large bowl and add garlic, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs and chilled flax "egg" to bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and mix with wooden spoon.2 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons fresh basil, 4 tablespoons Italian parsley, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 2 cups breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Use a spoon to scoop up the dough. Then, form small golf-ball sized meatballs by rolling the dough in your hands. Place the meatballs on the lined baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been used. (The meatballs should stay round when you place them on the cookie sheet. If your dough is too wet and is not holding it's shape when rolled, mix in more breadcrumbs. If it is too dry and crumbly and cracks when you roll it, mix in a little water.)
- Bake until very firm and dark brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Heat marinara sauce in dutch oven or large skillet to warm the sauce. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over spaghetti, in a meatball sub sandwich or as a main dish and garnish with basil leaves.24 ounces marinara sauce, fresh basil leaves
Notes
Straight out of the oven, these meatballs will be a little dry on the outside. This helps them to hold up when they are added to a sauce (like marinara or bbq).
This recipe makes about 20 meatballs.
Nutrition
Serving: 5meatballs | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1323mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1221IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 4mg
