Lemony Sage Vegan Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax and water. Give it a stir and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken. Set a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onions and stir. Sauté the onions until slightly soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and all the herbs to the pan except for the thyme, and sauté for another minute. Finally, add the nutritional yeast, chili, onion powder, salt, and pepper and stir for about 30 seconds. Pour in lemon juice and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, add the walnut halves and the oats. Pulse until you have a coarse meal texture and transfer to a large bowl. Place the bowl of the food processor back on the motor base. Add the white beans to the food processor and pulse until they are ground up with a little bit of chunky bean bits still in the mix. Add the beans to the ground walnuts and oats and mix well to combine. To the large bowl, add the flax gel mixture, sautéed onion and garlic mixture, tamari, fresh thyme, and big pinches of salt and pepper. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until thoroughly combined. Pinch off a bit of the mixture and give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Using a small cookie scoop, measure out a scoop of the white bean and walnut mixture and roll it into a ball. Once you’ve rolled out all of the mixture, place the meatballs on the greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops have dried out a bit, the meatballs are firm, and the bottoms are browned. Serve the meatballs with a spread of hummus, and a simple cucumber and tomato salad. Garnish with additional herbs, a drizzle of olive oil,  and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Flax & Sugar.