Recipe Make and Freeze Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwiches
July 08, 2021
Easy to whip up and even easier to enjoy, these make-and-freeze vegan meatballs are perfect for a vegan meatball sub. Healthy pantry staples like chickpeas and black beans make this dish satisfying because they’re packed with fibre and plant-based protein. But hearty beans don’t do all the healthy lifting in this recipe—nutrient dense sprouted whole grain breadcrumbs bring even more goodness to the table. So you can feel double the gratification in serving a tasty meal that’s just as nutritious as it is easy to make!
For even more added nutrition, we recommend sprouting chickpeas before adding them to the food processor. Check out our Why Sprouted Handbook for more information—Part 3 has complete instructions on sprouting at home.
Ingredients
For the vegan meatballs:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (we used our Sprouted Breadcrumbs recipe)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can (400 ml / 14 fl oz) black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 can (400 ml / 14 fl oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp water)
For the vegan meatball sub sandwiches:
- 1 – 6 Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Organic Hot Dog Buns
- 1 jar marinara sauce (or your family’s favourite tomato sauce)
- ¼ – ½ cup plant-based parmesan-style or mozzarella-style cheese , grated (or top to taste)
Featured Product Hot Dog Buns
Instructions
For the vegan meatballs:
- In a small bowl, prepare your flax egg and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Pulse garlic in your food processor. One can at a time, add beans, and pulse to a coarse chop. Add flax egg, seasonings, and breadcrumbs, then pulse until completely combined. You will need to scrape down the sides as you go. If needed for processing, add water ¼ cup at a time until you reach a thick, cookie dough-like consistency. (If you have a smaller food processor, pulse together garlic with one can of beans, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Repeat with the seasonings and second can of beans, then mix the beans, flax egg, and breadcrumbs together by hand with a wooden spoon until well combined.)
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll in your hand to form a ball (wet your hands with water if the mixture is sticking to your hands).
To cook the vegan meatballs:
- To cook in a frying pan: use a non-stick pan, or add about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a regular pan and cook on medium to medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Move the balls around to brown all sides.
- To bake in the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the balls on the baking sheet, making sure there’s room between each. Cook for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 5 more minutes, or until vegan meatballs are evenly browned.
To serve:
- Toast your buns (if desired).
- Warm marinara sauce.
- Spoon sauce into your bun, and place meatballs on top. Sprinkle with cheese (and extra sauce if you like!) and enjoy!
Try these handy tips!
- Make this easy weeknight meal even easier by cutting down on the cleanup. Turn this into a one-pot dish. Cook the number of vegan meatballs you need for one meal in a frying pan, and when the vegan meatballs have browned, pour marinara or tomato sauce into the pan and simmer until sauce is warm.- Serve on a bun or atop your favourite pasta. This easy weeknight menu item can be made to accompany any vegan meatball-based dish you like, from meatball sub sandwiches to classic spaghetti and meatballs.- Scroll down for full freeze and reheat instructions!
